One Desperate Moment
by Irish Contessa
Summary: Damon rescues Elena from a desperate situation. Delena.
1. Chapter 1 and 2

Author's Note: One Desperate Moment takes place after Elena is kidnapped and then rescued by Damon and Stefan. However, Rose tells Elena about Klaus during the kidnapping and at the end of that "episode" Elijah stays dead and Rose disappears. She does NOT come to Mystic Falls. This takes place a few months after that episode and Elena and Damon have become friends again. This is a DELENA fic.

CHAPTER 1

Damon stood perfectly still and gazed down at Elena's sleeping form. He found he did this more and more often when she slept alone at her house. His hand moved, as if of its own volition, and one finger stroked, barely, down her cheek.

There was nothing to indicate that Elena had awoken until she murmured, "Hello, Damon."

A pregnant pause followed in which neither of them moved or spoke.

"How did you know it was me?" Damon asked, his voice quiet and gentle.

Elena's shoulder moved in a sleepy shrug and she said, "Just did. What time is it?"

"It's late," Damon said. "Go back to sleep."

"Are you staying?" Elena asked.

"Do you want me to?" Damon asked after a moment.

Elena rolled to her side and her hand slid under her pillow. "Think you need to," she mumbled as she slid back into sleep.

It was several moments later before Damon eased his way onto the bed, his back propped against the headboard. He remained motionless so as not to disturb her and continued to watch her sleep. Being so close to Elena both comforted and tormented Damon. He turned her last statement over in his mind and wondered what she meant by it. Of course, he'd ask her in the morning if she weren't angry with him for being there in the first place. For all he knew, Elena had thought she was dreaming and would be furious to find him in her room.

As dawn broke across Mystic Falls, Damon watched the process of Elena coming awake. She began to move around slightly, then her face scrunched up and her eyes squeezed shut as if she could block out the coming day, and then, finally, she rolled onto her back and blinked open her eyes.

Damon couldn't help the grin on his face when he asked, "Do you always wake up like that?"

"I don't know," Elena said grumpily. "I'm still asleep."

Damon chuckled slightly as Elena pulled the pillow over her head. After several moments, Elena huffed and threw the pillow away before sitting up. She turned and looked at him intently.

"Are you okay?" Elena asked after several moments.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Damon asked.

Elena merely cocked her head to one side and waited.

"I'm fine," Damon said. "Stefan got a call late last night and had to leave town. He's following up on a lead about Klaus. I figured I'd stop and make sure everything was okay before heading home last night."

Elena nodded to indicate that she'd heard his explanation.

"Last night was difficult for you," she finally said. "Can you tell me why?"

"Well, I'm certainly not used to sharing a bed with a woman without touching her," Damon said wiggling his eyes devilishly.

Elena sighed and said, "You know that's not what I was talking about. If you can't, or just don't want to, tell me, that's fine, Damon. But don't be deliberately dense."

Damon stared at her intently and Elena met his gaze unflinchingly.

"Some of us aren't as strong as Stefan," he finally murmured looking away.

"No one is asking you to eat like Stefan," Elena said. "We're just asking you not to kill while you eat. Is it very difficult to stop before…" She trailed off not knowing how to ask the question.

"Not anymore," Damon said. "It is when you're newly turned. But control is learned quickly."

"Then I don't understand the problem," Elena said. "Maybe I never will since I haven't been through what you have."

Damon was silent for several long moments and then he said, "You are good, Elena. All the way through. That's why you can't understand evil."

"Oh for the love of…" Elena stopped and took a deep breath. "Damon, you are not evil. You have impulse control issues, anger issues, and probably a whole host of other issues. But you aren't evil."

Damon just shook his head with a small, bitter smile.

Elena sighed heavily and said, "I know you think I'm all that is good and right in the world but I'm not. Do you really think I've never wished someone harm? That I've never wanted someone dead? The difference between you and me is that I can't actually make it happen. I'm too small, too weak, and too slow to actually kill someone. And because of that, I have to stop and think about it before I actually hurt someone. You don't have a built in brake like I do."

Damon watched her and said, "Who have you wanted dead?"

"Logan," Elena said immediately. "He hurt Jenna over and over. I wanted him dead so she'd never have to deal with him again. Of course, I didn't want him to be a vampire first. I just wanted him gone. And Vicki. I hated her for hurting my brother when he was so damned lost already. John for obvious reasons. Katherine for tormenting everyone I care about."

Damon shook his head and said, "The reason you would never kill anyone is not because you aren't strong enough or because you have to stop and think about it. It's because you have a reverence for human life that I lost a long time ago. Even if you wanted Vicki dead, you mourned her when Stefan killed her. That's who you are, Elena."

"Maybe you're right, Damon," Elena said after a moment. "I don't even know anymore."

Damon smiled slightly at that and asked, "How did you know it was me? In fact, how did you even know I was in the room?"

"I always know," Elena said simply.

Damon's eyes widened slightly at that. "You never said anything," he said.

"I figured if you wanted to talk about it, you would have brought it up," Elena said.

"Elena," Damon said his patience clearly strained. "I would never have said anything because I thought knowing I came here and watched you sleep would freak you out. Why doesn't it?"

Elena met his gaze and said, "You only come here when you're… I don't know upset, angry, whatever. I'm not going to ask you not to when it's something you clearly need. I know you'd never physically hurt me."

"Nice qualifier on that statement," Damon said with a smirk.

Elena's gaze swept to the doorway where the vampire had snapped Jeremy's neck and then met Damon's once again.

Damon nodded and said, "Okay, I deserved that."

"You can talk to me, Damon," Elena said. "When you need to, when you're ready. Until then, I have to sleep at night anyway so if it helps you to come here and watch me, then so be it."

CHAPTER 2

Elena walked carelessly down the dark street. With the tomb vampires all dead and Katherine sealed away, she felt safer than she had in a long time. The Grille had been okay and it was nice to catch up with Caroline and Bonnie and to see them getting back to being friends but without Stefan or Damon there, Elena had been a little bored. No one else had wanted to leave yet so she had gone alone.

They weren't as fast as vampires and they definitely weren't silent but Elena still did not have time to run away or do more than get out one short scream before they had her on the ground in the back of the alley she had been passing. Elena struggled but there were five of them and all were larger and stronger than she was so her escape attempt was more than a little desperate. As if from a distance she heard cloth tearing and felt the cold bite of cement on her back as her shirt was ripped open and nearly off. She heard a whimpering sound and realized with a start that it was coming from her own throat.

Then, even more suddenly than the attack had started, the two attackers on top of her were gone. Elena heard a gurgling sound and finally focused on the point it emanated from. Damon was ripping a throat out with his teeth.

"You really chose the wrong girl to hurt," Damon growled to the two remaining attackers. "Hell, you chose the wrong town to come to."

Elena turned her head and saw the two who had been on top of her lying against a wall, their heads bent at unnatural angles. Her relief was fairly palpable as she heard Damon finish killing the last two. She waited for him to come to her, to help her but there was only silence and stillness.

Moving as little as possible, Elena turned her head back in the direction she had last seen Damon. He stood there, frozen, and she realized somewhere in her mind that he was covered in blood.

"Damon," her voice was barely a breath but he heard it.

Damon sped to Elena's side and wrapped his black leather jacket around her as he lifted her off the ground. He cradled her carefully in his arms and she allowed her head to fall to his shoulder.

"Hospital?" Damon queried.

Elena had begun to shake but at the question, she shook her head violently. Damon made no comment but began to move with vampiric speed. Elena was not surprised when, moments later, they approached the Salvatore boardinghouse. She remained silent but couldn't stop the trembling still shaking her frame.

Damon eased the door of the house open so as not to jostle Elena. She was still trembling in his arms so he kicked the door shut behind them and moved swiftly into the living room. He eased down onto the couch holding her close.

Elena was relieved when Damon made no move to set her down by herself. His hold was unbreakable but so achingly gentle and she wasn't sure if she would have been able to explain that she needed his arms wrapped around her or she feared the shaking that continued unabated would break her apart. Damon remained silent until her shaking eased down to tremors. He eased his hold slightly and met her gaze.

"Thank you," Elena whispered.

Damon shook his head and Elena could see the fury he was working so hard to contain. She reached up and laid her hand gently against his cheek. His eyes closed and he inhaled deeply. Releasing the breath and opening his eyes, he rose smoothly with her still cradled in his arms.

"Where are we going?" Elena asked as he began to walk.

"Upstairs," Damon said. "You are going to get out of those ruined clothes and I am going to assure myself…"

They entered a room that she had never seen but knew was his without asking. Damon sat her gently on the bed and unwrapped his jacket. Elena had forgotten she was cocooned in it until he removed it from her shoulders. Her cheeks fired bright red as she realized this left her completely exposed from the waist up.

"You are going to have to get over your modesty, Elena," Damon said in a gravely serious tone that was rare for him. "I didn't take you to the hospital so I am damn well going to make sure you have no serious injuries."

"I don't hurt," Elena said.

"Adrenaline," Damon snapped. "It will wear off soon enough. Then you'll feel like hell."

Elena stood carefully while Damon hovered right next to her. She slid the skirt she was wearing down to the floor and stepped out of it. She examined herself starting at her feet but when she saw the first smudges of impending bruises on her thighs, her eyes flew to Damon's face. His eyes were locked on those slight colorations and his jaw was tight with rage. However, his hands were gentle when he took her shoulders and turned her around to examine her back.

"Your shoulders are scraped to hell," he grated out. "And you're going to be a walking bruise in the morning."

"But no permanent damage," Elena said.

Damon shook his head and spun away from her. Elena expected him to speed out of the room but all he did was move to the bathtub and begin to fill it. After testing the water to be sure the temperature was correct, he moved to the closet and pulled out a button down shirt.

"You are going to soak in the tub," Damon said pinning her with his stare. "It will help your muscles not be so tight and will ease some of the aches. The shirt is for when you are done. It will be loose enough to not hurt your bruises and long enough to keep your modesty intact."

"Little late for that," Elena muttered but smiled slightly to let him know she was teasing.

"I'm going to be right out in the hall," Damon continued. "I need to call Alaric about…"

"The bodies," Elena finished when he trailed off. "Have him tell Jenna I called and said I was sleeping at Caroline's tonight. Caroline will cover if Jenna calls since she'll figure that means I'm staying here."

Damon nodded and poured bubble bath into the tub before exiting the room. Elena stared after him for a moment and then slipped out of her underwear and into the warm, fragrant water. She inhaled deeply and then frowned. She recognized that scent. Then she grinned. Damon smelled just like this bubble bath.

The vampire stood outside the door for several moments listening to Elena settle into the bathtub. He took deep breaths to calm down. He moved slightly down the hall and called Alaric.

"Damon," Alaric answered.

"Elena was attacked on her way home," Damon said without preamble. "There are five bodies in the alley off Maple Street that need to be disposed of and I'm not leaving her here alone."

"Is she alright?" Alaric asked, concern evident in his voice.

"She's bruised and battered but she'll be fine," Damon said.

"Vampires?" Alaric asked though his tone indicated he had no doubt of that.

"No," Damon growled. "Human."

"Well, it's a good thing you were there," Alaric said.

The pregnant pause made Alaric nervous. "Damon?"

"I wasn't there," Damon hissed. "I was all the way out near the old cemetery."

"Then how…" Alaric trailed off.

"I heard her scream," Damon said but it was a tortured whisper.

"You got there in time," Alaric said. "That's all that matters."

"The hell it is," Damon muttered. "Look, she also asked that you tell Jenna she's staying at Caroline's tonight. I'll call Caroline and give her a heads up."

"Alright, I'll take care of it," Alaric said. "Just take care of her."

Damon didn't bother to respond he simply ended the call and then called Caroline.

"Damon, what's up?" Caroline asked.

"If Jenna calls, Elena is staying with you but she's in the shower or something," Damon said.

"Is she okay?" Caroline asked immediately.

"She will be," Damon said. He hesitated and then said, "She's probably going to need to talk to you tomorrow because I doubt she's going to want to talk to me about it."

"Because you're Damon or because you're male?" Caroline asked with what Damon considered surprising astuteness.

"Both," Damon said. "But mostly the male thing."

"Okay, I'll come over with clothes first thing in the morning," Caroline said. "Take care of her tonight, Damon."

Damon hung up the phone and shook his head. Why did everyone keep saying that to him like he needed to be told? He had no time to ponder that because Elena called his name.

"I can't stand up," Elena said sounding like she was desperately holding back tears.

Damon grabbed a towel and pulled her to her feet with one hand while wrapping the towel around her with the other. He lifted her out of the tub and sat her on the bed next to the shirt he had left for her. He politely turned his back but could hear her let go of the towel and pick up the shirt. When he was sure she had enough time to button all the buttons, he turned around. Elena stood there, his shirt dwarfing her tiny frame, hugging herself as if she would fall to pieces if her arms weren't wrapped so tightly around her torso.

Moving to the cabinet near the door, Damon poured a glass of whiskey and handed it to Elena. She stared at it as if she had no idea what a glass was. Damon picked her up and settled her on the bed before taking her hand and wrapping it around the glass.

"I know it's not your drink of choice but it'll help," he said quietly.

Elena blinked rapidly and her eyes focused as they met his. He let out an inaudible sigh of relief. She looked at the drink and downed it swiftly only to cough and choke as it burned down her throat.

"See if I waste anymore of my good stuff on you if that's how you're going to drink it," Damon tried to tease and was rewarded with a small but genuine smile.

The smile faded quickly and she took his hand in her much smaller one. "You'll stay?" she asked so quietly that only a vampire would hear it.

"I'm not going anywhere," Damon said and he felt her relax at his answer.


	2. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

"How is she?" Alaric asked quietly, glancing through the door at a sleeping Elena.

"She's going to hurt like hell when she wakes up," Damon said. "Last night the adrenaline kept her from feeling it but she's a giant bruise and her shoulders looked like a cheese grater had been used on them."

Alaric winced at that imagery and Damon nodded. "I'm surprised she's sleeping so peacefully," the teacher said. "After what you told me…"

"I took off her vervane necklace," Damon said with no remorse. "I'm controlling her dreams."

Alaric simply stared at him and Damon said, "She needs deep, restful sleep for her body to recover."

"You're doing it now?" Alaric asked and Damon nodded. "What's she dreaming about?"

Damon glanced at Elena and then looked back at Alaric. "She's having a moonlit picnic on the beach with my baby brother," the vampire said.

Alaric blinked in surprise at that but said, "Do you think…should I suggest that she talk to someone?"

Damon shook his head. "I asked Caroline to come over and talk to her," he replied.

"Because she'll be willing to talk more freely to a girlfriend than to you or even Jenna," Alaric said. "Makes sense."

Damon heard the door open and turned toward the stairs in time to see Caroline come to a halt in front of him. Alaric blinked in surprise which was mirrored on Caroline's face.

"Uh, Mr. Saltzman, hi," Caroline said looking back and forth between Alaric and Damon.

"You can call me Ric, Caroline," Alaric said with a slight smile.

In the moment of Caroline's arrival, Damon's attention had slipped from Elena's subconscious just enough to have the memory of the night take hold. Elena began to thrash in the bed and her heartbeat sped causing both Damon and Caroline to turn toward the room.

"Damon!" The word was whispered but held such terror that all three of the people in the hall flinched.

Damon was instantly at Elena's side, his hand wrapped around hers. "I'm right here, Elena," he said quietly. "You're safe."

Elena's eyes blinked open and met his eyes. She tried to smile at him but her eyes were full of unshed tears. Damon gently wiped away one tear that spilled over and glanced behind him to the doorway causing Elena's gaze to follow his. Her eyes widened when she saw Alaric standing there but then Caroline appeared behind Damon.

"Hey," the blonde said.

Elena tried to sit up but the moment she moved, a pained groan escaped from her throat.

"You were right," Elena said looking at Damon. "I hurt like hell."

Damon ignored the comment and helped her to sit up. Elena winced but stayed upright after he released her.

"Damon, I think we could all use some coffee," Alaric said from the door. Damon didn't move until Elena met his gaze and nodded. The two vampires exchanged a glance before Damon stood and moved toward the door. Before he was out of the room, Caroline had taken his place.

"What happened?" Caroline asked gently.

"How much did Damon tell you?" Elena replied.

"Nothing," Caroline said. "He called, said to cover for you if Jenna called, and that you would be fine. He did say you might want to talk to me though so here I am."

At that, Elena lunged at her friend and hugged her hard. Caroline wrapped an arm very gently around Elena's back, conscious that she could do serious damage to her friend with her strength. Elena flinched the moment Caroline's arm touched her back and the vampire immediately dropped it.

"Sorry," she murmured.

Elena shook her head. "It's not…you barely touched me," she said. "But Damon said I was going to be a walking bruise and he was right. My entire back hurts like hell."

"Can you…do you want to talk about it?" Caroline asked sitting back.

Elena took a deep breath and exhaled. "It's ironic really," she said with a bitter smile. "With all the supernatural danger of the last few months, I forgot that humans can be vicious and deadly. There were five of them. I heard them; they weren't trying to be quiet. They were big or at least seemed that way to me. They threw me to the ground and…they were going to rape me."

The last part was barely a whisper and Elena began crying. Caroline carefully wrapped her arms around her friend as she cried. When the tears had stopped, the blonde sat back once again. When Elena looked at Caroline, she let out a chuckle.

"Thanks," Elena said, her genuine amusement coming through.

Caroline was confused for a second until she realized her fangs were out and her eyes had turned. "Sorry," she said pulling herself together.

"It's nice that you were than angry on my behalf," Elena said.

"It's a good thing Damon killed them," Caroline said. "Or I'd have to go hunting."

Elena smiled at that but then her attention shifted to the doorway and Caroline turned just as Damon appeared.

"How do you do that?" Caroline asked Elena. "If I couldn't hear him coming, how did you know he was there?"

Elena shrugged but didn't reply as Alaric walked up to stand next to Damon.

"Are you two going to school today?" Alaric asked.

"I should go," Elena said.

"If you aren't up for it, I'll make sure you're excused," Alaric said.

Elena shook her head. "No, I should go," she repeated.

Caroline held up the bag she had brought with her. "I have clothes, shoes, makeup and accessories," she said cheerfully.

Elena smiled at that and moved to get up but hissed in pain. "Okay, first, I need painkillers," she said.

Damon and Alaric exchanged a look. There were no drugs or any kind of first aid supplies in the house but Damon would remedy that while Elena was at school. Just because neither he nor Stefan would need it didn't mean they shouldn't have it on hand for Elena.

Caroline gave both men a look of disgust and exasperation and reached into the bag. She pulled out a small bottle and handed it to Elena. "Never expect a man to be prepared," the blonde said causing Elena to let out a genuine laugh.

After taking the pills, Elena rose from the bed and moved slowly and gingerly toward the door. Alaric averted his eyes and Elena blushed realizing she was only wearing one of Damon's shirts. Caroline's eyes narrowed at the wardrobe but she made no comment and Damon merely watched Elena carefully. It took the brunette several minutes to make her way to the hall bathroom but once she did she shut the door and dropped the bag with a thump. Damon gave Caroline a speaking look and the blonde went to the bathroom and entered quickly.

When the two women came out several minutes later, Elena looked completely normal except for the way she moved. Damon handed each of them a mug of coffee and the three headed down the stairs to a waiting Alaric.

"I can drive you both to school, if you want," Alaric offered.

"Thanks," Elena said with a small smile. Alaric nodded in acknowledgement, knowing she didn't mean just for the ride offer.

Elena looked at Damon and met his gaze. She nodded once and he seemed to relax slightly. He smiled and took the coffee mug from her hands.

"Have fun at school, kids," Damon said, his trademark sarcasm and smirk firmly in place.

All three of them turned to shoot him dirty looks as they walked out the door.


	3. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Jeremy jumped off the picnic table and moved toward the car as soon as Elena opened the door and slid out.

"What happened?" he asked as soon as he reached his sister's side.

"There was…I was attacked last night," Elena said quietly so no one would overhear.

Jeremy studied her for a moment and said, "Are you okay?"

"Bruised and battered but otherwise unharmed," Elena said. Because she knew his next question, she continued. "Humans."

At his astonished look, she nodded. His expression shifted and she once again anticipated his question. "Damon," she said.

Jeremy nodded and asked, "Where's Stefan?"

"Out of town," Elena said as the siblings began to walk toward the building with Caroline and Alaric following closely. "Klaus."

This got another nod from Jeremy. "Here," Jeremy said handing her a granola bar from his bag. At Elena's quizzical look, he said, "Well, I doubt they keep food at the house."

This caused Alaric to cough in surprise and Caroline rolled her eyes but Elena grinned at her brother as she opened the granola bar and took a bite.

The day progressed as normally as any school day except Elena jumped at every unexpected noise or casual touch. As the morning wore on, the painkillers wore off and every step felt like daggers running up her back. When the bell for lunch rang, Elena gathered up her books and stood but before she could make it to the door, Damon was standing in front of her.

Silently, the vampire handed her two pills and a bottle of water. She took them gratefully and then gave him a questioning look. He handed her a bag and peering into it, she could see that it was lunch from the Grille. Damon escorted her outside and sat with her at a picnic table while she ate her lunch. When she finished eating, she rose slowly and laid her hand on Damon's shoulder. Elena squeezed briefly and met his gaze; he nodded his understanding of the silent communication and watched her walk slowly toward the school. She hadn't even made it a quarter of the way before Caroline and Jeremy appeared one either side of her. Caroline met Damon's gaze in their own silent communication before she followed the Gilbert siblings into the school.

An hour later, Bonnie popped up next to Jeremy's locker. Jeremy smiled slightly as he had been expecting her since lunch.

"Why was Damon here?" Bonnie asked, her voice even.

"Damon came because Elena needed him," Jeremy said, emphasizing the word needed.

"What happened?" Bonnie asked her concern instant for her friend.

Jeremy shook his head. "I think you need to ask Elena," he said surprising Bonnie with his emotional understanding.

"Where is Stefan?" Bonnie asked.

"Klaus," was Jeremy's cryptic answer and Bonnie nodded.

Bonnie rushed into history and slid into the seat next to Elena. "Are you okay?" Bonnie demanded.

Elena smiled at her friend knowing Bonnie had caught some of the tension around her and probably had seen Damon.

"I'll be fine," Elena said. "This is not the place I want to get into it though."

Bonnie glanced around and noticed the room was filling up with other students. She also noticed Alaric's concerned gaze resting on Elena. Bonnie nodded but said, "You'll tell me later?"

Elena nodded in agreement and said, "I really will be fine." Then the two had no more time to talk as Alaric began class.

Bonnie was waiting at Elena's locker at the end of the day and Elena tried not to sigh in exasperation. She knew her friend was worried but it had been a long and emotionally draining day. Caroline appeared behind Bonnie as Elena walked up to the locker to deposit her books. Bonnie glanced at Caroline and then shifted her attention back to Elena.

In a voice so low that no one could over hear, Elena said, "I was attacked on the way home last night. Five humans. Damon rescued me."

Bonnie nodded slowly at that. She did not like Damon – at all. She knew Damon loved Elena enough to kill for her. Problem was Damon didn't consider killing a big deal so he'd pretty much do it for no reason at all. However, Damon also loved Elena enough to die for her. And that was the real clincher for Bonnie. She was aware of the tightrope she had to walk in the supernatural world and she knew that killing someone who wasn't completely irredeemable would send her over the wrong side of that line. Damon wasn't completely irredeemable; no one who loved someone the way Damon loved Elena could be considered completely beyond redemption.

So the witch and the vampire followed Elena out of the building. The moment they emerged from the school, Elena's eyes scanned the area until they came to rest on the vintage car parked at the curb. A small smile appeared on her face when she saw Damon leaning casually against the car, the dark sunglasses on his face hiding his eyes but not the smirk on his face. Elena moved slightly faster, making a beeline for the car and it's driver.

As the three approached, Damon pushed his sunglasses up to rest on his head and let the smirk drop. He and Caroline exchanged a speaking look before he eyed Bonnie. When the witch merely nodded at him, he returned the gesture and opened the passenger side door for Elena.

Just as Elena slid into the car, Jeremy rushed up. "Don't forget it's family night," he said casting a look at Damon before meeting his sister's eyes. "You'll need to either tell Jenna what happened – well an edited version or come up with a cover story."

Elena nodded and her eyes closed wearily only to snap open again when Damon said, "You know how much I enjoy family night."

The wicked tone of his voice and the smirk on his face made Elena chuckle slightly. "The last one you attended didn't turn out so well, remember," she said.

Damon shrugged. "Turned out exactly how it was supposed to," he drawled.

Elena smiled slightly at that and then said, "I'll see you at home, Jeremy."

Her brother nodded and met Damon's eyes as the vampire closed the car door.

"What are you going to tell Jenna?" Damon asked as he got into the driver's seat.

"The truth," Elena said simply. "I'll just leave out the killing part."

"Then how did you get away?" Damon asked curious as to how she would explain that.

"I'll tell her you scared them away," Elena said with a half shrug. "I should call and tell her your coming tonight. It'll be better if she isn't surprised by you showing up."

"She'll be perfectly happy I'm there when I cook dinner," Damon said.

"What are you making?" Elena asked closing her eyes and relaxing for the first time since she'd left his house.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Macaroni and cheese," Elena said with a slight grin.

"That can be arranged," Damon said.

"Aunt Jenna, Damon's coming to family night," Elena said into her phone conscious that Damon would hear Jenna's response.

"Why is Damon coming to family night?" Jenna asked carefully.

"Because he's agreed to cook dinner," Elena said.

Jenna paused at that news as Elena knew she would. "What's he making?" Jenna finally asked.

"Mac and cheese," Elena said making Jenna laugh.

"Figures," Jenna said. "Can he keep his lips to himself tonight?"

Elena glanced at Damon who grinned unrepentantly at Jenna's reminder. "Yes," Elena said forcefully. "He'll keep his lips to himself. Though we'll still have to put up with his snarky comments and his smirk."

"Hmph," Jenna said. "It's fine. Alaric is coming, too. See you when you guys get here."

"Thanks, Aunt Jenna," Elena said.

"I made no promise to keep my lips to myself so Jenna better watch out," Damon said with his trademark smirk. "I mean, Alaric is prime real estate in this town."

At that Elena burst out laughing and Damon smiled a sincere smile in response.

"I'm going to need to tell Jenna right away," Elena said once she had stopped laughing. "So if you could nicely get Alaric and Jeremy to hang out in the kitchen with you for a little while…"

"I don't really do nicely," Damon reminded her. "But I'll take care of it."

Elena nodded and remained silent for the rest of the trip. When they arrived at the house, Elena got out and was surprised to see Damon pull a bag of groceries out of the backseat.

"How did you know it was family night and how did you know what I was going to ask you to make?" she asked as they walked toward the house.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Mac and cheese is your favorite according to my keen powers of observation," he said as he followed her into the house. "And it's Thursday. Thursday is always family night for the Gilberts."

Elena didn't have a chance to respond as Jenna and Alaric were already sitting in the kitchen as the pair entered and Jeremy walked in seconds behind them. Jenna shot Damon a dirty look over her wine glass as he began to unpack the grocery bag.

"Um, Aunt Jenna," Elena said, "could I talk to you in the living room for a sec?"

Alaric and Jeremy both looked at her and Jenna sighed clearly thinking Elena was going to ask her to be nice to Damon. As she rose, Alaric and Jeremy both made moves to get up but Damon pinned them with a stare.

"Yes, you girls go gossip," Damon said flippantly. "The men will stay in here slaving over the meal."

Elena shot him a grateful look as Alaric and Jeremy gaped at him. Jenna shook her head and moved into the living room with Elena following closely behind.

"I know he's your friend, Elena, but…" Jenna began.

"It's not that, Aunt Jenna," Elena said taking a deep breath. "I need to tell you about something that happened. Something bad."

"What is it? Are you alright?" Jenna asked immediately.

"I'm fine," Elena said automatically. "But last night…I was attacked. It was some guys. They didn't get a chance to do more than throw me on the ground and rip my clothes before Damon showed up and scared them off but I've got some bruises and some scrapes. I'm okay, though, promise."

Jenna was silent for a moment studying Elena to see if she was really okay. "Is that why you stayed at Caroline's last night, because the sheriff was there?" she asked.

Elena shook her head. "No, the sheriff wasn't home," Elena said. "I didn't report it."

"Elena…" Jenna began but Elena was shaking her head again.

"I'm sorry, I can't," Elena said. "I just can't. It was hard enough to tell Caroline, Bonnie, and Jeremy."

"Okay, honey, that's okay," Jenna said.

"Um, Ric knows," Elena said. "He overheard me telling Bonnie before history." Elena knew Damon would be telling Ric and Jeremy what she said so their story would match hers.

"And you told Jeremy?" Jenna asked.

"He knew something was wrong as soon as I got to school with Caroline this morning," Elena said.

"I'm really sorry you had to go through that, Elena, and very glad you weren't hurt badly," Jenna said. "If you need to talk, I'm here. You know that, right?"

"I do," Elena said hugging her and wincing slightly when Jenna squeezed too hard around her back. "I love you, Aunt Jenna."

"Love you, too, kid," Jenna said.

"We better go back and make sure they aren't poisoning the food," Elena said in a stage whisper.

"I heard that!" Damon called immediately and the tension in the house dropped. He shot her a pout as the women re-entered the kitchen and Elena shot him a relieved grin.

"This is going to be about forty-five more minutes so if anyone has anything they need to do, like say homework," Damon said pointedly.

"I suppose I could read the chapters my history teacher assigned," Elena sighed dramatically and Alaric chuckled.

Jeremy laughed and the teenagers left the kitchen to do schoolwork on the couch. Jenna gave Alaric a speaking look so he wandered out of the kitchen as well. Elena was sure that Jenna and Damon thought their conversation would be private but they could still be heard in the living room.

"Thank you," Jenna said, her voice filled with unshed tears. "I don't know what I would have done…"

"Don't you dare thank me," Damon said his voice full of warning. Alaric shifted and his eyes went to the kitchen but Elena laid a hand on his arm and shook her head.

"It never should have been that close. They never should have been able to get near her," Damon hissed out, the fury clear in his voice.

"Damon, you got her out of there," Jenna said. "You got there before the damage was irreparable. I don't know what would have happened, how Elena would have handled it if no one had been there."

"She would have survived," Damon said roughly. "Elena would have fought to come back from that because that's who she is. She's stronger than anyone."

"Maybe," Jenna said. "But she doesn't have to and that's because of you."

"It never should have been that close," Damon repeated.

Jenna didn't say anything else and a moment later she entered the living room. Alaric hugged her and she leaned against him. A few moments later, Damon followed and plopped onto the couch between Elena and Jeremy.

Dinner was pretty normal with Damon providing the entertainment and Elena was grateful that he kept it from being a tense affair. Afterward, Damon and Jeremy decided to continue the video game tournament that they started the last time Damon came to family night while Alaric and Elena did the dishes. Jenna took a phone call upstairs so Alaric took the opportunity to talk to Elena.

"So, is Damon staying here tonight?" Alaric asked quietly.

Elena looked at him strangely and said, "I haven't asked him and he hasn't mentioned it."

"Let me rephrase," Alaric said. "Are you sleeping here or at the boardinghouse tonight?"

Elena shook her head and said, "Again, I haven't talked to Damon about it."

"What Alaric is trying to say in his too subtle way," Jeremy said from behind them refilling his glass of soda, "is that if you decide to sleep in your own bed tonight, Damon will be staying here."

With that Jeremy returned to the living room and Elena looked back at Alaric. "Why are you asking about the sleeping arrangements, Ric? Do you have a problem with Damon staying here?" she asked.

"No, not that way you mean," Alaric said not meeting her eyes. "It's just…vampire hearing."

Elena stared at Alaric, her face blank in confusion until she realized that Alaric was blushing. Then she heard Damon chuckle because he understood what Alaric was delicately trying to say and then she started blushing. Elena went back to her homework when the dishes were done and Damon went to the kitchen for a drink.

"Tonight wouldn't be the first night I was here when you were staying over," Damon said casually as he refilled his wine glass several minutes later. "I don't listen, Ric."

Alaric nodded at that and then asked, "Does Elena know you've been here other nights?"

"Apparently," Damon drawled in amusement.

It was only nine o'clock when Elena rose and said, "I'm kind of stiff and sore. I'm going to take a couple of painkillers and go to bed."

"Do you want me to look in on you later? Make sure you aren't in pain?" Jenna asked concerned.

"I'll duck in before I go to bed, Aunt Jenna," Jeremy said. "If she's not sleeping, I'll get her more Tylenol or whatever so she doesn't have to get up."

"Good plan," Jenna said. "I'll be gone before you two get up in the morning since I have to show a place to a client entirely too early tomorrow morning."

Damon rose and said, "I guess I'll be heading home then. Thank you for letting me crash family night."

"Thank you," Jenna said. "For cooking, I mean."

Damon nodded at her and Elena said, "I'll walk you to your car."

Elena followed Damon out of the house and he said, "I'll meet you in your room in five minutes."

True to his word, Damon came through the open window five minutes later. Elena was sitting on her bed waiting for him.

"Can we go to the boarding house?" she asked immediately.

"You don't want to sleep in your own bed?" Damon asked using Jeremy's words from earlier.

Elena just shook her head so Damon picked her up carefully and out the window they went. At the boarding house, Damon set Elena on her feet just inside the front door and she immediately headed for the couch, stretching out on it and leaning her head against the back.

Damon immediately put two painkillers in one of her hands and a glass of water in the other before pouring himself a glass of Scotch. When he walked over and picked up her feet to settle on the couch under them, Elena had taken the pills and once again leaned her head against the back of the couch, her eyes closed. The two sat in comfortable silence for long moments.

"I heard what you said to Jenna," Elena said, breaking the silence but not opening her eyes or moving.

"I said a lot of things to Jenna," Damon retorted but Elena felt him go tense beneath her legs.

"You know what I mean," Elena said raising her head and looking at him.

"Elena…" Damon began.

"No," Elena said cutting him off. "I…I need to say this. You don't have to agree or respond but I need to say it."

After a moment, Damon nodded and Elena took a deep breath.

"When it started," Elena said swallowing hard. "I froze. I…it was like my mind and body just stopped working. I couldn't fight back. Then when I could, it was too late. There were too many of them and they were too strong. They…they were laughing and goading each other on…I knew what was going to happen, knew the idea of causing me as much pain as possible was the goal and I couldn't stop it."

Elena took a few deep breaths and watched Damon. He might as well have been carved from stone, he was so still but the fury radiated off of him in waves. She wondered for a moment if she was making a mistake telling him all this but at the same time, she knew she could tell him anything and he wouldn't judge.

"I heard my clothes ripping but it was like the sound was coming from far away," Elena continued. "Then, the ones holding me down were just gone. And all of a sudden I felt safe. My mind was a little slow realizing what was happening but I felt safe. Then I heard you and saw you. I know you don't want gratitude and I know you want to convince everyone you're the stereotypical evil vampire but as soon as you arrived, I knew I was safe, that you wouldn't let anything happen to me."

Damon waited for a moment to see if she would continue but when she remained quiet, he said, "I promised to protect you. This is the second time I failed."

"No, Damon…" Elena said but he cut her off with a vicious look.

"You had your say, now it's my turn," Damon said. "You were kidnapped and then you were attacked. I said I would protect you and twice others have managed to get to you. I won't let it happen again."

The last words had the feel of a vow and Elena swallowed hard.

"So, then it's okay for me to feel safe with you," Elena said trying to tease but it came out fairly intense.

Damon grinned wickedly at her. "Well, I don't know if you're safe," he said. "I mean, all this awesome could be overwhelming."

Elena snickered at that and play punched his shoulder. They settled back into comfortable silence for a while.

"I think you should read to me," Elena said.

"What?" Damon asked in astonishment.

"I think you should read to me," Elena repeated. "Call of the Wild is sitting right next to your elbow."

Damon raised his brows at her and she smiled sweetly at him. He let out a dramatic sigh but picked up the book and began reading. After two chapters, Damon glanced at Elena to see that she had fallen asleep with a smile on her face.


	4. Chapter 5

AN: I just want to say thank you to everyone who is reading this story and especially those who have taken time to review. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

**CHAPTER 5**

Elena walked down the stairs and glanced around. Since Damon wasn't in the room with her when she woke up, Elena had pulled on a pair of jeans before going to look for him. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Elena turned toward the kitchen only to be stopped by a knock on the door. Switching directions, Elena answered it and blinked in surprise.

"Sheriff Forbes," Elena said stepping back to let the woman in.

"Elena," the sheriff said, her surprise clear and becoming more apparent as she realized Elena was wearing a man's shirt over her jeans.

"Hello, Liz," Damon said entering the room from the kitchen. He held up a book bag that Elena recognized as hers. "Elena, you left this down here last night. And if you don't hurry, you'll be late for school."

That was crap, Elena knew, but recognized that Damon was trying to get her to go back upstairs so he could talk to the sheriff. Elena grabbed the bag from Damon's outstretched hand and headed up the stairs without comment.

"Does Jenna know Elena spends nights here?" the sheriff asked Damon after Elena was out of sight.

Damon shrugged languidly. "I'd rather have her sleep here where I know she's safe than sneaking out in the middle of the night and wandering around in the dark," he said.

"Of course, you're right," Liz said. "I just remember when Elena was a toddler. It's a little unsettling to realize she and Caroline are adults now. They'll both be eighteen in a few months."

Damon just nodded and said, "So what brings you by so early this morning, Liz? Not that I'm not always happy to see a woman in uniform."

Liz chuckled at that and said, "I actually came to give you a heads up about a potential situation."

Damon's head snapped up and around at that.

"It's not Council business," Liz said quickly. "But you've been really good about protecting this town so…"

"Just say it, Liz, whatever it is," Damon said.

"It might be nothing," Liz qualified. "But a group of bikers rolled into town late last night. I hesitate to use the word gang but that's exactly what they seem like. Now, they might just be passing through and stocking up on supplies here. If so, fine. I won't go looking for trouble."

"But you don't think that's what's going to happen," Damon stated.

"No," Liz said. "I'm a cop and my gut says these guys are going to cause trouble. They've been flashing around some photos asking if anyone has seen the guys in the pictures. They claim the guys are their friends and were supposed to meet them."

"But," Damon prompted.

"Well, in my mind, it goes one of two ways," Liz said. "One, these guys are on the up and up and their friends really are missing. Which means they went missing around Mystic Falls and that likely means it is Council business. Or, two, these guys are hunting for the people in the photos for far more nefarious reasons."

"Gotcha," Damon said understanding exactly what Liz thought these bikers might be up to.

"Like I said, I don't want any trouble. I'm happy to let them spend their money here for a few days and then move on so long as they don't cause problems," Liz said. "But I was hoping you'd keep an eye out, just to be safe."

"Of course," Damon said.

"I knew I could count on you, Damon," Liz said with a smile before letting herself out.

Damon poured a glass of Scotch and waited for Elena to finish getting ready and come downstairs. When she did, he indicated the couch and she sat down, looking at him curiously.

"Why was Sheriff Forbes here?" Elena finally asked.

Damon sat next to Elena and angled toward her.

"The men who attacked you," Damon said, "they weren't alone."

Elena took an unsteady breath and then nodded to show he could continue.

"They were apparently part of a biker gang," Damon said. "The rest of the gang is here and they're looking for their friends. The sheriff thinks the bikers are shady so she wanted me to be aware."

Damon realized Elena was sheet white when he finished talking and he cursed.

"I won't let them hurt you," he said fiercely.

Elena reached over and clutched one of his hands tightly. She took deep breaths for a few moments and then nodded.

"Sorry," she said and Damon's frown was savage. "What…what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to watch them," Damon said. "My first instinct was to find them tonight and slaughter them but I figured you'd frown on that."

Elena smiled slightly and said, "We'll keep that in reserve."

Damon blinked and then barked out a laugh. Somehow, Elena always managed to surprise him.

"I almost wish they would approach Caroline in a dark alley," Elena said darkly. "She'd teach them not to try to corner helpless looking women."

"Yes, she would," Damon said with another laugh. "We'll keep Caroline in reserve as well, alright?"

Elena laughed and nodded. "Okay," she said. And then, "Damon?"

"Yes, Elena," he said.

"You'll be careful, right?" she said not looking at him.

"I'll be careful," Damon said rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. "Come on, I'll drive you to school."

* * *

Over the next several days, Elena settled into a comforting routine. On weekends, Damon would hang out at the Gilbert house for part of the day before taking her to the boarding house with him. On weekdays, Elena would head to the boarding house straight after school, texting to let Jenna know where she was. Elena would do her homework or write in her journal in the living room and then she and Damon would eat dinner, either in his kitchen or with her family and Alaric at the Gilbert house. Every night she slept in one of his shirts next to him.

After over a week of this, Damon knew something had to change. Elena wasn't meant to be a hermit. Her friends came to the boarding house to see her but she never went out and that just wasn't like her. It was time for a shove into the deep end of the pool with him as her life preserver.

"Elena, aren't you sick of being inside these walls?" Damon asked. "It's Friday night, you should be out having fun."

Elena's eyes were round with trepidation but she asked, "What did you have in mind?"

"Call Jeremy and Bonnie," Damon said. "We'll get a group together and hit the Grille. We'll invite Jenna and Alaric and Caroline."

"Okay, we could do that," Elena said, relieved that he was including himself in the group outing.

"I'll call Ric," Damon said. "You call the witch and your brother."

Elena immediately pulled out her phone and Damon stepped into the kitchen to call Ric.

"Damon," Ric said by way of answering.

"Listen, Ric, I think Elena needs to go out for a while," Damon said. "Any chance you and Jenna could meet us at the Grille? Elena's inviting Jeremy, Bonnie, and Caroline. I think she'll be easier with it if there is a big group."

"Of course, we'll come," Ric said. "Is this the first time she'll have been back since…"

"Yes," Damon said. "Other than school, she hasn't been leaving the house, well houses I guess."

Alaric took a moment to tell Jenna what was happening and then said, "We can be there in half an hour."

"Okay, we'll meet you there," Damon said.

He hung up and then called Caroline. "Meet Elena and I at the Grille," he said without a greeting.

"When?" Caroline answered.

"Half an hour," Damon said.

"See you there," Caroline said.

Damon walked into the living room and took in the perplexed look on Elena's face.

"Ric, Jenna, and Caroline will meet us there," Damon said. "What has you looking so puzzled?"

"Did you know Bonnie and Jeremy were seeing each other?" Elena asked.

"Really? The witch and the baby bro? Well that's a step in the right direction for him," Damon said.

"Damon!" Elena admonished.

"What?" Damon asked trying to look innocent. "Look at his track record. First Vicki, then Anna. At least Bonnie seems stable even if she does like to torture vampires."

Elena rolled her eyes but got up from the couch. "They're coming," she said. "But I need to change. Can we stop at my house on the way?"

"Sure," Damon said. "I need to eat before we go."

Elena nodded. "Are you bagging or going for the fresh stuff?" she asked.

"Is that an offer?" Damon asked lecherously.

Elena smirked and said, "Not in this lifetime. I just wondered if I would have time to shower while you play with your food."

Damon blinked in surprise at her ability to joke about his diet. "Everyone said they'd be at the Grille in half an hour so I only have time for the bagged stuff," he replied.

"Okay, I'll hurry then," Elena said taking off up the stairs.

Damon stood where he was watching after her for several moments. When had Elena become blasé about his blood drinking and hunting habits? He shook his head and went to the fridge for a bag of blood. He drank contemplatively as he listened to the running water of Elena in the shower.


	5. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

Everyone was already in the Grille when Damon pulled up and parked across the street. Elena had been quiet on the ride from the Gilbert house and she had lost color the closer they got. Damon wasn't about to back down. She had to face these things or she'd become a hermit. He couldn't allow her to stop living her life and he would be there to protect her.

Elena walked slowly across the street and through the door that Damon held open for her. She had made Damon stop at her house so she could change out of the cable-knit sweater she had worn to school but as she glimpsed the group of bikers playing pool, she almost wished she hadn't put on the red v-neck that showed the lace of her black camisole. Elena had come to a stop just steps inside the door until she felt Damon's hand on her back and she moved forward.

The bikers gathered around the pool table all looked up to assess the new arrivals. Several honed in on Elena in appreciation until Damon shifted, laying his hand on her shoulder and drawing their attention. The bikers were dangerous men and recognized Damon as the predator he was. As they looked away one by one, Damon smiled and it was a scary, unpleasant expression.

Once the bikers' attention had shifted away from them, Elena led Damon toward the group of people waiting for them at a table in the middle of the restaurant. Damon nodded at Alaric and Jenna while pulling out a chair for Elena. As Damon pulled up another chair, Alaric handed him a glass of Scotch.

"Thanks, Ric," Damon said raising the glass in a mock toast before taking a sip.

Caroline began chattering away about something that had happened at school so Damon sat back and watched the room. Over the next hour, Damon felt Elena's hand touch his knee briefly several times under the table as conversation flowed around them, as if she was reassuring herself that he was still there. Each time it happened, Damon would brush his hand down her hair in support.

When Elena excused herself to go to the ladies' room, Damon's gaze followed her all the way and didn't leave the door she had entered. He continued to watch as she began to make her way back to the table so he saw the man move toward her.

"Excuse me," Elena said politely as the man blocked her path.

"Don't be like that, sweetheart," he leered. "We need another pool player."

"No, thank you," Elena said, remaining scrupulously polite as she tried to edge around him.

He smirked as he matched her steps to keep her from going around him. The smirk dropped off his face when his eyes moved from Elena to behind her. Elena didn't turn around to look as she knew Damon was there.

"Everything okay, Elena?" Damon asked his eyes not leaving the man in front of her.

"It's fine," Elena said. "I was just turning down the offer to play pool."

"Then you should get back to the table," Damon said.

Elena reached back and grabbed his hand. The man who had been blocking her way moved to the side, his eyes warily watching Damon, and Elena tugged Damon as she swiftly moved past the area. Damon followed but allowed his gaze to remain on the bikers in a very clear threat.

"Everything okay?" Jeremy asked as Elena and Damon approached the table.

"Yes, it's fine," Elena said with a small smile for her brother.

Bonnie and Caroline kept their eyes on Damon until he nodded and only then did they relax. A fierce frown crossed Elena's face as she noticed this but she let it go. The group continued to hang out except for Alaric and Jenna who begged off early.

"I'm staying at the boarding house tonight," Elena said clearly as Jenna and Alaric were saying good-bye. To the astonishment of the teenagers at the table, Jenna just nodded her acceptance.

When Elena went to the bar for a refill, Damon leaned across the table and pinned Bonnie and Caroline with a glare.

"You have to stop," he hissed. "Elena had a bad experience. She didn't get a brain or personality transplant. You're going to start pissing her off when you refuse to listen to what she tells you."

Bonnie and Caroline both blinked in surprise but then nodded in understanding. Jeremy just smiled at Damon's defense of his sister. The guy was gone over Elena and that made Jeremy happy.

"Hey, Elena," Matt said from behind the bar. "Haven't seen you in here in a while."

"Yeah, I've been staying in," Elena said with a smile.

"No Stefan tonight?" Matt asked glancing at the table where their friends were sitting.

"He's out of town for a while," Elena said with a shrug.

"What's Damon doing here?" Matt asked.

Elena glanced back at the table and saw Damon leaning across the table toward Caroline. She knew they both could hear every word.

"Matt, Caroline loves you," Elena said looking at her ex-boyfriend. "I know she and Damon dated for a little while but it just didn't work out. They aren't interested in getting back together."

"Do you know why it didn't work out?" Matt asked.

"I think it was just personality conflict," Elena said with a smile. "Caroline's really chatty and involved in everything and Damon's more…sarcastic and intense. Not really a joiner, you know."

"Right," Matt said watching as Damon sat back in his chair and smirked. "So he's not interested in her anymore?"

"I think Damon's pretty much interested in anything female," Elena said. "But Caroline is not looking for anything else. She loves you."

"Okay," Matt said smiling at Elena in gratitude. "Thanks."

"Anytime," Elena said grabbing the glass he had refilled for her and heading back to the table.

Caroline mouthed "thank you" as Elena sat down and Elena smiled at her. She was surprised at how well Caroline and Matt worked – she'd never really thought about it, first because Matt had been with her and then because all she had thought about was Stefan and vampires. Now, she realized Caroline had always wanted Matt and she loved him enough to make it work even though she'd turned.

"I actually have some standards, Elena," Damon said his tone mockingly severe.

Elena's eyes narrowed and she smirked. "Two words, Damon," she said. "Tri Delts."

Amusement lit Damon's eyes but he shook his head in horror. "I'll have you know the Tri Delts are a cultural institution that has strict requirements for membership," he said. "Besides, they were tasty."

Bonnie glared at him for that, Jeremy looked mystified, and Caroline hid a grin. Elena just shook her head but she smiled.

"What are you talking about?" Jeremy asked.

"Nothing," Elena said quickly glancing around.

"Elena, I think we're well passed hiding things from me to protect my innocence," Jeremy pointed out.

Elena shook her head. "It's not that," she said. "It's just too public to talk about any of that here. Who knows who might hear? Plus, I just ate and really don't need to hear Damon reminiscing about his foray into the world of sorority sisters."

"But it's a great story," Damon protested wiggling his eyebrows.

"And on that note, I think it's time to go," Bonnie said.

Elena glanced at her watch and realized how long they'd been there. She was relieved that she had managed to relax and enjoy spending time with her friends so she smiled and agreed.

"Alright, Cinderella, let's go," Damon said, rising and pulling out her chair.

Jeremy immediately followed suit, causing Bonnie to grin at him. They gathered up their things and polished off drinks while Caroline went to say good-bye to Matt.


	6. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

The group walked out of the Grille only to be brought up short when Caroline and Damon went completely still.

"Damon?" Caroline said questioningly.

"I smell it," Damon confirmed.

The two vampires took off running with Elena, Bonnie, and Jeremy seconds behind them. It was enough time for the humans to come upon a full-on massacre when they caught up. Caroline had her teeth sunk into a man's jugular while Damon was ripping apart four others with his bare hands and teeth. When the body Caroline was feeding from dropped to the ground, Bonnie immediately trapped the blonde vampire in place causing her to snarl. It was Elena that spotted the unconscious woman on the ground.

"Sheriff!" Elena yelled and ran forward.

When Bonnie and Jeremy would have followed, Elena held up a hand.

"No, don't come closer," Elena said. "Damon won't hurt me but I don't know how far gone he is and he might think you're a threat."

"Then get back here," Bonnie said.

"No, I need to check on her," Elena said. "She's Caroline's mom."

With that, Elena ignored the blood and put her fingers on the sheriff's neck. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt a pulse, however faint.

"She's alive, Caroline," Elena called and saw her friend shudder in relief.

Elena realized it was very quiet and looked over to see Damon watching Caroline, Jeremy, and Bonnie with a predatory gaze. Elena rose from her crouch near the body and moved slowly toward the enraged vampire.

"Elena, don't!" Jeremy yelled running toward them.

Damon moved with the swiftness that proved he was no longer human putting himself between Elena and Jeremy with a snarl.

Elena ignored this and moved until she was right in front of Damon. Elena reached up and, ignoring the low growl that vibrated out of his throat, placed her hand over his heart.

"She's alive, Damon," Elena said quietly. "The sheriff is alive but she needs medical attention. I'm going to call an ambulance, which means you and Caroline need to clean this up. Do you understand?"

Elena felt him tremble slightly and then his fangs receded and his eyes returned to normal. She raised her hand and cupped his cheek for a short moment before she dropped her hand and went back to the sheriff.

"Bonnie, you need to release Caroline," Elena said. "She needs to help Damon get rid of the bodies."

Bonnie nodded and let the spell go. Caroline rushed to her mother's side and looked at Elena.

"She's going to be fine, Caroline," Elena said gently. "Help Damon."

Caroline nodded and with one last look at her mother, she moved off to clean up the gruesome scene.

"I called the ambulance," Jeremy said quietly. "They'll be here in a minute. What's the story?"

"We were walking home from the Grille and saw her like this," Elena said simply. "It's close enough to the truth."

Minutes later, the humans could hear the sirens but they couldn't see the ambulance and Damon and Caroline were back. Caroline knelt next to her mother, ignoring the blood. Unlike Damon, Caroline had blood down her shirt but Elena figured anyone who noticed would assume it was from the sheriff.

When the ambulance arrived, everything happened very quickly. Before Elena knew it, Caroline was climbing into the ambulance with her mother.

"We'll meet you at the hospital, Caroline," Bonnie said.

The remaining four didn't wait after the ambulance took off with the humans practically sprinting for their cars. Damon drove faster than Elena thought possible. They arrived at the hospital only a few seconds after the ambulance. The group found Caroline standing helplessly outside the emergency room doors.

Bonnie wrapped her arms around Caroline while Damon compelled a nurse to find out what was happening. No one was surprised when several deputies arrived in the waiting room to begin investigating.

"Mr. Salvatore, if we could just ask you some questions?" one of the deputies said and Damon nodded.

They moved off to the side of the room and one of the deputies said, "Did you see…could you tell if it was vampires?"

Damon shook his head. "No, there was nothing to indicate that," he said. "Seemed like someone had beat her. No bites or tears to the neck."

"There seemed to be a lot of blood…" the other deputy said.

"Head wound," Damon said shortly. "It looked to me like her head hit the brick wall when she was attacked."

"Okay, thanks, Mr. Salvatore," the first deputy said. "We'll need to speak to the kids as well."

Damon nodded and called Elena over.

"Elena, can you walk us through what happened?" the first deputy asked gently.

"We were all hanging out at the Grille," Elena said. "We had just left, well Aunt Jenna and Mr. Saltzman had left about an hour earlier, but the rest of us all left together. We were walking when we saw her on the ground. We thought…we thought she might be dead. Caroline started crying and I went over to check for a pulse. When I found one, Jeremy called the ambulance."

"Why did you do the checking? For the pulse, I mean," the second deputy asked.

"Well, Caroline clearly couldn't do it," Elena said her face scrunching in puzzlement at the question. "She was too upset. And Damon was checking to make sure whoever did it wasn't still around to hurt us. Bonnie was trying to keep Caroline…to help Caroline. And Jeremy's my baby brother. I know he's not really young but I didn't want him to see too much if he didn't have to."

"You've always had the idea that everything was your responsibility," the first deputy said. "Ever since you were a kid, you've tried to protect everyone else, did all the hard or scary things yourself. Maybe you should be a cop."

"I'll keep that in mind," Elena said dryly. "Now, if that's all, Caroline really needs me."

"Of course," the first deputy said. "Could you send Jeremy over?"

The questioning went through the group with them all saying the same thing with only the slight expected variations that cops need to be sure that a story isn't rehearsed.

"You'll find who did this to my mom, right?" Caroline said plaintively, tears running down her cheeks.

"We're doing everything we can," the first deputy said. "You just stay here with the sheriff and help her get well."

Caroline nodded and the deputies left allowing the group to relax slightly. Elena sent a text to Jenna letting her know what happened and that they were all at the hospital with Caroline. It didn't take long for the hospital staff to usher the growing group into a private waiting room. Alaric and Jenna showed up but didn't stay long when it was clear there was nothing that they could do that wasn't already being done. After Jenna offered to let Caroline stay with the Gilberts for as long as necessary, the couple left. Matt showed up but Caroline made him leave after only a short time as his exhaustion was clear from working so late.

When the five of them were alone in the room and the sheriff had been moved to a room in the ICU, Caroline turned to Damon.

"I need you to help me compel them so I can go in a give mom blood," she said.

"You can't, Caroline," Damon said as Bonnie was about to protest. "We have to wait until we're sure she'll make it."

"What? This is my mother, Damon! I'm not going to let her die when I can stop it," Caroline said.

"Caroline, I'm not saying you can't give her blood," Damon said. "I'm saying you have to wait. If she dies while your blood is in her body, she'll be a vampire and she's spent too much of her life thinking vampires are evil to live with that. She'll hate it and you for causing it."

Caroline hung her head at that because she knew he was right. Elena glared at him and let out an exasperated sigh. She sat next to Caroline and hugged the blonde tightly.

"Look, Care, the doctor said your mom would be fine," Elena said gently. "She's strong and we got her here fast. Once they've moved her out of ICU tomorrow, she'll be out of danger and you can help her get better so much faster. You'll help her more than anyone tomorrow."

Caroline nodded and said, "Thanks. I just…I don't like feeling helpless. They hurt my mom!"

"I know," Elena said keeping her arms around the blonde. "I know it's hard."

The group waited in the private room for the rest of the night. Elena fell asleep with her head on Damon's shoulder on the love seat. Bonnie slept in a deep arm chair while Jeremy slept sitting on the floor, his head resting against Bonnie's leg. Caroline paced the room all night and Damon kept a watchful eye for anyone who might cause trouble.

Very early the next morning, a nurse entered the room and spoke quietly to Damon and Caroline so as not to wake the sleeping teenagers.

"We've moved Sheriff Forbes to a private room on the top floor. Number 850," the nurse said. "She's still unconscious but her vitals are all steady and stable. Only two visitors at a time."

Damon nodded and the movement woke Elena. "What time is it?" she asked and the sound woke Jeremy and Bonnie.

"It's early," Damon said as Caroline slipped out the door to go to her mother. "They've moved Liz to a private room."

"Caroline?" Bonnie asked looking around.

"She went up to help Liz," Damon said.

"We'll give her a few minutes," Elena said quietly. "Then we should all probably get out of here. Now that we know she's going to be okay, I mean."

Jeremy and Bonnie nodded in agreement and several minutes later the group filed out of the room and took the elevator to the eighth floor. When they arrived, Caroline was sitting beside her mother waiting anxiously.

"It didn't work," Caroline said tears running down her face as she turned to look at Damon.

He cocked his head to the side and listened. "It's working," he replied. "She was seriously injured so it'll just take a little longer."

"That's not a bad thing, Care," Elena said quickly. "No one will question it if she wakes up slowly instead of as soon as you visit her."

Caroline nodded wiping the tears away. "Thanks," she said hugging Elena. She pulled back quickly though.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked concerned.

"Sorry," Caroline said wincing. "I, uh, I need to eat."

"Yes, and you need to eat regularly if you're going to be in the hospital," Damon said. "Otherwise you won't be able to control it."

Caroline nodded and vanished down the corridor. Damon replaced her in the chair and he took the sheriff's hand. Bonnie was slightly surprised at the gesture but Elena wasn't. She knew Damon considered the sheriff to be a friend and he didn't have many.

"We should head home," Jeremy said. "Get cleaned up and changed."

Bonnie nodded but Elena kept her eyes on Damon.

"Can we bring you anything, Damon?" Elena asked quietly.

"I'll take you," he said immediately.

"No, you should stay here," Elena said glancing at the hospital bed. "Keep the sheriff company and keep Caroline calm."

Everyone could see the war on Damon's face as he debated.

"I'll stay with her," Jeremy said.

"Me, too," Bonnie said. "And if any of those bikers get within a block of us, I'll drop them all."

"Well, well, the witch is willing to spill innocent blood," Damon chuckled humorlessly.

"They aren't innocent," Bonnie said her eyes going to the woman on the bed.

"I'll be fine, Damon," Elena said. "The Forbes' need you more right now. I'll be back before you know it. I can't leave you alone with Caroline for long, after all. You two would kill each other."

Damon smiled slightly at that and nodded. Elena squeezed his shoulder before following Bonnie and Jeremy out the door.


	7. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Sheriff Forbes woke up slowly and painfully. She could hear steady beeping and tried to turn off her alarm but she couldn't move her arm. The harder she tried, the more panicked she became until she heard a voice.

"Liz, Liz," the voice said. "You need to calm down. You're fine but you're in the hospital."

Damon. That was Damon Salvatore's voice Liz realized before the words penetrated.

"Hospital?" she croaked out and blinked open her eyes.

"Yes, you're in the hospital," Damon said. "Do you want me to get your doctor?"

Liz slowly moved her head so she could see Damon sitting next to her. She realized belatedly that he was holding her hand and she thought that was nice.

"What kind of drugs am I on?" she asked her voice slightly slurred and very rough.

Damon chuckled and squeezed her hand lightly. "The really good ones," he said.

"I feel like I got hit by a bus," the sheriff said her voice slowly getting back to normal. "What happened?"

"We were kind of hoping you could tell us," Damon said. "Well, the deputies were anyway. I'm just glad you're okay. Caroline has been freaking out."

"Caroline?" Liz asked. "Is she here?"

"I made her go with Elena and Bonnie to take a walk," Damon lied easily. "She was driving the staff crazy."

Liz smiled slightly at that. "How long?" she asked.

"Not too long actually," Damon told her. "We found you last night."

"Found me?" Liz said her face clearly showing her struggle to remember. "Wait, I was following a couple of those bikers. I had made some calls and wanted to see what they were up to."

Damon nodded at that. "You were unconscious near Mystic Grille when we found you," he told her. "You'd been beaten pretty badly. I suspect there were several attackers."

Liz nodded slightly at that and winced in pain but before she could say anything else Caroline rushed into the room.

"Mom! You're awake," Caroline said leaning over her mother and hugging her carefully. "Are you feeling okay? Do you need more medicine? I should find the doctor. Where is the nurse anyway? She should have been in here when you woke up…"

"Caroline," Liz said tolerantly cutting off the rant. "Breathe. I'm fine. I will be fine."

"I was scared," Caroline whispered.

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry," Liz said. "I'm really going to be okay. But I don't want you staying at the house alone while I'm stuck in here."

"Mom," Caroline said but it was plaintive this time.

"She can stay at the boarding house," Damon said smoothly. "Plenty of room."

"Oh, Damon, we shouldn't impose like that," Liz said.

"Nonsense," Damon said. "You'll heal faster if you know Caroline is safe and she'll be safe if she stays at the boarding house."

"That would definitely put my mind at ease," Liz said. "Caroline, is that okay with you? Or would you rather stay with the Bennetts?"

"It's okay," Caroline said rolling her eyes. "I'll stay with Damon if it'll make you feel better."

"It will," Liz confirmed.

Elena, Bonnie, and Jeremy hovered in the doorway and waved at the sheriff.

"Glad you're awake," Elena said.

"Thank you," Liz said.

The nurse entered the room and said, "There are too many people here. The sheriff needs to rest. The doctor is on the way to check on her."

Damon nodded and released the sheriff's hand. "We'll head out," he said. "Liz, call if you need anything. We'll be back later to check on you."

"Thank you, Damon," Liz said.

"That's what friends are for, Liz," Damon said with a smile.

The group arrived at the boarding house to find Alaric waiting for them.

"What happened?" Ric asked as soon as they were all inside.

"A group of bikers attacked my mom," Caroline said and her face vamped out.

"The ones who were in the Grille with us?" Ric asked.

Damon shook his head. "No, they were still there when we left," he said. "But they are all connected. The five that hurt Elena, the five that beat up Liz, and the group at the Grille – they are all together."

"We should go hunt down the rest of them," Caroline said furiously. "We can handle them, Damon."

"Caroline, you can't just go around killing everyone who knows someone who committed a crime," Bonnie pointed out.

Caroline hissed at her and Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"As much as it pains me, I agree with Sabrina over there," Damon said. "Though for completely different reasons."

"What?" Alaric asked in surprise.

"I have nothing against slaughtering them wholesale," Damon said with a shrug. "However, Liz was investigating the bikers when she was attacked. If all the bikers suddenly disappear, the deputies are going to get mighty suspicious."

"So we do nothing?" Caroline demanded. "They tried to kill my mother!"

"And you killed them," Bonnie pointed out. "Now, maybe since your mother is sheriff, you should leave the rest of them to the police."

"Yes," Damon said causing everyone to gape at him. "At least for now."

"For now?" Bonnie asked suspiciously.

"Yes, for now," Damon said darkly. "If they try to run or if the police run into a wall, I'm not going to just let them get away with it."

"But they didn't do anything," Bonnie pointed out. "You've already killed the ones who did."

"Bonnie, if this is what they do in Mystic Falls, why do you think they won't move to a new town, one that doesn't have a witch and vampires to protect it, and do the same thing?" Elena asked softly. "What would you say to the girl they trapped in an alley who didn't have Damon to save her from being raped? When we could have stopped them from ever going to her town? No one is asking you to help. But I'm going to trust Damon and Caroline on what needs to be done this time."

Bonnie's gaze moved between the three who had spoken and finally she nodded. Jeremy squeezed her hand and she smiled at him.

"So since you are both staying here now," Damon said looking at Elena and Caroline, "feel free to have a pillow fight in your underwear in the living room. And there's a video camera right there to record the moment for prosperity."

Jeremy let out a chuckle, Alaric shook his head, Bonnie made a disgusted face, Elena rolled her eyes and Caroline shot him a glare. Then Elena threw a throw pillow at him.

"You're aim is a little off," Damon said smirking at her. "Caroline is right there. And you're wearing too many clothes. But if you feel the need to practice…"

"Oh, gross," Bonnie said getting up quickly. "I can't take any more."

Jeremy threw an apologetic look over his shoulder at the group and followed her out the door.

Elena and Caroline ignored Damon and went up the stairs to find a bedroom for Caroline to use while the sheriff was in the hospital.

"You did that on purpose," Alaric said quietly once he and Damon were alone. "You wanted to break the tension in the room."

"Did I?" Damon asked, all innocence. "Or did I just want to watch Elena and Caroline have a pillow fight in their lingerie?"

Alaric rolled his eyes and said, "You talk a good game but you're now responsible for the safety of two teenage girls for the foreseeable future."

"Damn," Damon said. "So much for my brilliant plan to watch a sexy girl fight."

Alaric just shook his head and left while Damon poured another drink and listened to Caroline complain about every bedroom in the house.


	8. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

A week later, the sheriff was out of the hospital and back at work and Caroline was back to staying in her own house. Damon was sure Caroline had been driving him crazy far longer than that but Elena assured him with a great deal of amusement that it had only been a week and that he should have realized what he was getting himself into when he made the offer.

Damon glanced over to see Elena sleeping deeply right where she had fallen asleep on the couch while reading her history assignment. Deciding to take the opportunity to restock the fridge in the kitchen with blood packets from the basement before moving her upstairs, Damon went quickly and quietly down the steps. His return trip was slower as he was carrying a dozen or more bags of blood to the kitchen.

"DAMON!" Elena's scream was drenched in terror and it radiated off of her in waves as he flew from the kitchen into the living room in the space of a heartbeat.

Gathering a sobbing Elena up in his arms, Damon noted that Stefan stood unmoving in a dark corner on the other side of the room looking shocked.

"It's okay, Elena," Damon said. "I'm here. You're safe."

"Oh, God. Oh, God," Elena repeated. "I…there was someone…it must have been a dream."

"What?" Damon said. "What was it?"

"There was someone, a man, looming over me," Elena said. "His hand was on my shoulder, pinning me down, and he was leaning in to kiss me."

Elena shuddered and Damon looked at his brother to see Stefan's shock quadruple.

"It wasn't a nightmare, Elena," Damon said gently. "Stefan's home. He didn't mean to scare you."

"Stefan?" Elena said questioningly raising her head and looking around.

"Hi, Elena," Stefan said softly moving into the light.

"Oh! I'm sorry…so sorry," Elena said but she burrowed closer to Damon.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Damon said firmly. "You were sleeping. How were you to know that Stefan had come home?"

Elena nodded and wiped tears from her cheeks.

"You should go to bed," Damon said gently. "We can talk in the morning."

Elena glanced at Stefan and then away. "Okay," she said quietly. "Good night."

Stefan watched as Elena scurried up the stairs and turned away from his bedroom. His eyes narrowed and he whipped his gaze back to Damon.

"Be very careful about what you say, brother," Damon said, his tone lethal. "It's been a hell of a few weeks and I haven't had anyone I could take it out on."

"Why don't you tell me what happened while I was gone?" Stefan said calmly.

"Where do you want me to start?" Damon asked.

"Let's start with what happened to Elena," Stefan said. "And then we'll go from there."

Damon nodded and his gaze moved to the top of the stairs. They could both hear her getting ready for bed though she was out of sight.

"Elena was attacked," Damon said bluntly. "Five humans, bikers apparently. By the time I got there, they had ripped off half her clothes and she was on the ground under two of them."

"I assume they are dead," Stefan said flatly.

"Oh yes," Damon said with a predatory smile. "They are very dead. Elena still has nightmares sometimes and she's been staying here. She doesn't really feel safe anywhere else."

"So when she woke up she thought I was trying to…" Stefan trailed off in horror as Damon nodded.

"Does anyone else know?" Stefan asked. "And how is she getting away with staying here?"

"Jenna, Jeremy, Alaric, Caroline, and Bonnie all know what happened," Damon said. "Jenna knows she stays here and doesn't object because she knows I'm the one who rescued Elena."

"Okay," Stefan said taking a deep breath and letting it out. "Okay. What else happened?"

"Liz was beaten," Damon growled. "The five bikers who attacked Elena were just the vanguard. The rest of the group showed up days later. Several of them jumped Liz near the Mystic Grille. Put her in the hospital for a week. Caroline stayed here for that week."

"And the people who attacked the sheriff?" Stefan asked carefully.

"Caroline and I took care of it," Damon said flatly. "We couldn't let them kill Liz."

"Why didn't you tell me any of this while I was gone?" Stefan asked.

"Because we need answers about Klaus and the originals," Damon said. "I handled it, Stefan. Nothing would have changed if you'd come home early. Elena would still be afraid and basically living here. Liz still would have been attacked. Caroline still would have needed to stay here. There was nothing you could have done by being here that I didn't do."

Stefan nodded. "Unfortunately, I wasn't particularly successful," he said. "I did get my hands on a couple of books that are rumored to have information but aren't in a language I can read."

Damon poured two glasses of Scotch and handed one to Stefan.

"Welcome home, little brother," Damon said raising his glass.

Stefan raised his as well and with a glance up the stairs where Elena's breathing had evened out as she fell asleep, downed the contents.

"Why is she sleeping in your room?" Stefan asked quietly.

"Because when I brought her home with her back ripped up and covered in bruises, I put her in my tub," Damon snapped out. "Then she never left the room."

"I wondered why she smelled like you," Stefan commented.

Damon smiled slightly and said, "Between hogging my bubble bath, sleeping in my bed, and appropriating my shirts, it would be a miracle if she didn't smell like me."

Stefan frowned slightly at that but made no comment.

"She's having nightmares?" the younger brother asked instead.

"Sometimes," Damon said. "Not as often as she used to. She started to notice when I would take off her necklace so I could control her dreams so I had to stop doing it."

"Damon…" Stefan began to censure him.

"Don't," Damon said harshly. "You aren't the one who has had to listen to her terror when one of them wakes her up. So if I tried to make that easier for her by giving her dreams of picnics on the beach or football games with her friends, you don't get to judge."

"You're right," Stefan said after a moment. "You're right."

The two brothers sat in silence drinking whiskey and contemplating what the hell would come next in their lives and when they would finally catch a break. Neither would admit it but each was secretly glad to have the other one there.

Stefan was brought out of his thoughts when Damon suddenly tensed and then flew up the stairs. It was only then that Stefan noticed the soft sounds that Elena was making. Stefan followed Damon to find him hovering over the bed where a sleeping Elena was clenching the comforter and tossing and turning.

"Elena, it's a nightmare," Damon said sitting next to her and gently stroking her hair back from her face. "You're okay."

Elena quieted but not until she had wrapped herself around Damon. Damon sighed and shifted both of them so that he could lean against the headboard. Once he settled and Elena was once again curled up against him, Damon looked up to find his brother watching.

"Is this what you've been doing every night?" Stefan asked softly so as not to wake Elena.

"Pretty much," Damon answered. "Sometimes it's like this where she can calm down and stay asleep. Sometimes it's not."

"And when it's not?" Stefan asked.

"She has a hard time going back to sleep," Damon said.

"She trusts you," Stefan stated.

"And you don't think she should," Damon said bitterly.

"That's not what I meant," Stefan said. "I just meant that not that long ago, Elena would not have been comfortable sleeping in the same room with you."

Given what had happened the night Stefan had left town, Damon didn't agree with his brother but he chose to keep that knowledge to himself.

"What's your point?" Damon asked.

"Just that she's come a long way in a short time and so have you," Stefan said. "I think we'd all have preferred it not happen because of a trauma but at least you were there to stop it from being worse."

Damon nodded realizing this was his brother's way of saying that Stefan also trusted Damon.

"Hmmm, Damon?" Elena murmured still mostly asleep.

"I'm right here, Elena," Damon said quietly. "Go back to sleep."

Elena snuggled back down into the bed and sleep pulled her completely under.

"I'm here for the duration," Damon said. "You might as well bring me one of those books you found and I'll see if I can figure anything out while I'm sitting here."

"You're not going to sleep?" Stefan asked curiously.

"I doubt it," Damon said. "I'm not used to having someone else in the house who can be counted on to keep watch."

"I thought you said Caroline was staying here?" Stefan pointed out.

"Yes, but unlike you, I don't trust Blondie to watch my back," Damon said.

"Given what you did to her, I guess that's wise," Stefan said. "If you want to get some sleep later, just let me know. I'll turn in now and you can wake me in a few hours if you need to."


	9. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

Elena walked slowly down the stairs. She had awakened alone but knew Damon was in the house somewhere. She also knew that it was going to be a really difficult day because Stefan was back. She didn't want to hurt the younger Salvatore but everything had changed for her and she wasn't sure how to avoid causing him pain.

Stefan watched as Elena walked down the stairs without looking up and took the cup of coffee Damon held out to her. She drank deeply, draining nearly half the cup in one long swallow. Her eyes closed as she sighed in pleasure at the taste and she took the granola bar that Damon handed her. It was like watching a perfectly choreographed dance between the two, one in which neither needed to think about the steps.

Elena moved over and sat on the couch, her legs curled up underneath her, and ate the granola bar while finishing her coffee. Damon continued to sip a cup of coffee while he read the newspaper and the silence between the two was one of familiarity and comfort. Stefan narrowed his eyes as he realized Elena was wearing Damon's shirt over her jeans but didn't break the silence.

Glancing at Damon and then Stefan before dropping her eyes to the floor, Elena said, "I guess we should talk, Stefan."

Stefan nodded, rising and moving toward the couch but Damon's eyes narrowed and didn't leave Elena. It wasn't until the awkward pause penetrated Stefan's thoughts that he noticed Elena's heart was racing far too fast and her breaths were too shallow.

"Elena," Damon said and waited.

When Elena finally looked up and met his gaze, he said, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Elena?" Stefan queried reaching toward her with one hand.

When Elena flinched, Damon shot Stefan a glare.

"I should talk to him alone," Elena said meeting Damon's eyes but not looking at Stefan who had dropped his hand and moved back.

"Why?" Damon asked. "We all know that I can hear the entire conversation no matter where I am in the house."

"If you want Damon to stay, it's fine, Elena," Stefan said.

"I shouldn't be scared of you," Elena whispered, her voice breaking.

"Says who?" Damon demanded. "Who gets to decide what makes you scared and what doesn't? Or who? Stop asking more of yourself than you would ever consider asking of anyone else."

"He's right," Stefan said. "Give yourself a break, Elena."

Elena nodded slightly and said, "I'm sorry, Stefan. I know this is hurting you and I never wanted that."

"Elena, stop," Stefan said. "I'm fine."

Elena shook her head and said, "I just…I'm scared all the time now if Damon isn't around. He makes me feel safe. Being here makes me feel safe."

"Alright," Stefan said. "I'm not seeing a problem."

"You are honestly going to tell me that you have no problem with me sleeping in your brother's bed every night?" Elena said her natural spirit rising at such a blatantly ridiculous statement.

"You aren't Katherine," Damon said quietly, knowing her greatest fear was to end up using and hurting the brothers.

Stefan's head snapped up at that. "I never thought that, Elena. Never," he said. "But can I ask: Do you feel safe with Damon because he was the one who found you? Or is it because as a vampire he can protect you against pretty much anything?"

"Both," Elena whispered.

"So maybe, given some time, you might be able to trust me to protect you too since I'm a vampire?" Stefan said working to keep the hope out of his voice.

"I…Stefan, I don't want to hurt you," Elena said again.

"Just tell me what you're thinking and feeling, Elena," Stefan said gently.

"It's just that…I know you've been building up your strength with human blood but even if you were as strong and fast as Damon, you're inherently gentle," Elena said struggling to explain. "I know you can and will kill if necessary but Damon…he's far more comfortable with being a predator than you. He doesn't hesitate to…his viciousness makes me feel protected. And I really need to feel that kind of safety."

Stefan glanced at Damon but his brother's face revealed no emotion or clue as to what he thought of Elena's statement.

"I don't know if I'll ever stop needing that feeling," Elena finished.

"Of course you will," Stefan said. "You're too strong to let something like this keep you from living your life on your own terms. You'll get past the fear."

"When?" Elena demanded. "Because this whole situation is completely unfair to both of you."

"Not your call to make, Elena," Damon said.

"It's hurting you, too," Elena said glaring at Damon and showing some of her true personality.

Damon smirked. "Yes," he said. "Because it's so painful to have a beautiful woman in my bed every night. Oh, save me from the torture."

Elena rolled her eyes at him but she couldn't hide her smile. "It's still not fair," she maintained.

"I've been around for over a century and a half," Damon said. "Life's not fair, Elena. If you expect it to be, you're doomed to disappointment."

Before Elena could reply, Caroline whirled through the door and came to a halt in the living room.

"Stefan!" the blonde said brightly. "Welcome home."

Caroline hugged him quickly and then sat next to Elena. "The rest of the crew is on their way," she said.

Damon poured a glass of whiskey at that news and Stefan raised an eyebrow in question.

"Jeremy, Bonnie, and probably Alaric," Elena explained quietly.

As soon as it was out of her mouth, even the humans could hear the sound of cars pulling up. They came in without knocking causing Stefan to feel slightly bemused that these people were all that comfortable with his brother.

"Stefan!" Bonnie said happily. "Glad your back."

"Thanks, Bonnie," Stefan said as Damon rolled his eyes.

Alaric and Jeremy both nodded at Stefan and made themselves comfortable around the living room.

"Caroline, you promised to show me your room," Bonnie said causing Elena to grin.

"Your room?" Stefan asked.

"Yes, this place definitely needed a female friendly space," Caroline said. "So I made one."

"My room is very female friendly," Damon said with a lascivious smirk.

"Uh," Bonnie said. "I just ate breakfast so please don't say things like that."

The three females laughed at that and went up the stairs chatting about decorating and men.

"Not exactly the welcome home you were expecting, huh?" Alaric said to Stefan accepting a glass of whiskey from Damon despite the early hour.

"No, not really," Stefan said. "I wish I had been here for her. And for the sheriff."

Jeremy was watching Stefan closely and Stefan said, "Whatever it is, just say it, Jeremy."

"I don't want my sister hurt anymore than she already is," Jeremy said with a shrug.

"I'm not going to hurt her," Stefan said.

"Not intentionally," Jeremy agreed. "But now that you're back, Elena is going to push herself to be normal, whatever that is. Which means she's going to push herself to be comfortable with you again."

"And?" Stefan asked not seeing where he was going.

"And she won't even be alone in a room with me," Alaric said quietly.

"Me either," Jeremy said. "Someone always has to be there with her whether it's Aunt Jenna, one of the girls, or Damon."

Stefan looked at Damon who nodded once. "She's only slept at home twice since the attack," the older Salvatore said.

"You left her alone?" Stefan asked incredulously.

"Don't be an idiot," Jeremy said. "Damon's her freaking shadow."

Damon glared at them both and said, "No, I didn't leave her alone those two nights. I stayed at the house. Even with me controlling her dreams, she didn't sleep as well there as she does here."

"She feels safe with Damon," Jeremy said. "And I don't want her to think she has to back away from him because you're jealous or whatever. I know you guys have issues with women because of Katherine but tough. Elena doesn't need that kind of stress."

Meanwhile, in the room Caroline had claimed, the three girls spoke quietly.

"How are you doing with Stefan being back?" Caroline asked. "That can't be easy."

Elena shook her head and said, "I know Stefan wouldn't hurt me. I do. But no matter how many times I tell myself that, I still can't make myself feel safe with him."

"Elena, that's a natural response to what happened," Bonnie said gently.

"I don't want to hurt him," Elena said. "And I know I'm inevitably going to because I can't not be around Damon."

"Stefan is a good guy," Bonnie said. "And he'll understand."

"Will he? Or will he see the woman who looks like Katherine repeating history?" Elena said bitterly.


	10. Chapter 11

AN: I got stuck in the middle of this chapter and couldn't finish it for weeks. Hope it's not too disjointed!

CHAPTER 11

Both Damon and Stefan watched over the next several weeks as Elena tried to push herself farther than she was ready to go. It started subtly at first with her driving herself to school and back and other little things. But when Elena would do them, they could both hear her heart race far too fast and her breathing get much too shallow and her nightmares would be more vicious than ever. Stefan would attempt to talk to her, to reassure her that he wasn't upset but she either didn't believe him or felt even guiltier about it afterwards. Damon didn't try to talk to her; he simply showed up even when she didn't want him to.

One morning after a particularly brutal night of terror that had shaken both vampires, Elena found Stefan sitting in the living room drinking a glass of whiskey. He winced when he looked up and saw the dark circles under her eyes.

Elena curled up on the couch, her body tense as Damon went to the kitchen.

"Why do you wear his shirts?" Stefan asked keeping his voice only mildly curious.

Elena glanced down as if only just realizing that she had slept in one of Damon's button-downs as she did every night. "It smells like him," Elena said softly. "That makes it like he is right beside me, even if he isn't, and it helps keep me calm."

Stefan nodded at this as he watched Damon sit next to Elena and hand her a cup of coffee. At first Elena stiffened even further but after several moments, she relaxed and leaned into Damon's side. In that moment, she seemed more peaceful than she had since Stefan had come home.

"I'm going out of town again," Stefan announced.

Damon just looked at him but Elena asked, "Why?"

"Well, we need to figure out what is in the books I found," Stefan said. "And if it can help us. Since I seem to be making this situation harder on you than it already is, it's best if I try to work on the other problem we have looming."

"This is exactly what I didn't want," Elena said her voice trembling. "I don't want to chase you from your home or make you fight with your brother."

"We're not fighting," Damon said. "The only one who is fighting is you and you're fighting yourself."

"I'm so sick of hurting everyone I care about," Elena said vehemently. "And I'm sick and tired of being afraid all the time."

"You need to give yourself time," Stefan said. "And you can't do that if you're worried about what I think or feel all the time. Just do what makes you feel safe. That's all I want is for you to feel safe and happy."

Elena didn't try to stop the tears that coursed down her face as Stefan picked up a bag that he had prepared during the night. He squeezed his brother's shoulder once in understanding and support before he was gone.

"I'm sorry, Damon, I'm so sorry," Elena said over and over.

"I don't want apologies, Elena," Damon said. "I want you to stop expecting more from yourself than you'd expect from Bonnie or Caroline. If it had been one of them, you wouldn't be sitting here judging them for not being strong enough or for needing someone to feel safe. So stop doing it to yourself."

After several moments of silence, Elena said, "I never asked you…the day Stefan and I talked about why I feel safe with you. You never said anything about it."

"There wasn't anything to say," Damon replied.

"I called you vicious," Elena whispered refusing to meet his eyes.

"I am vicious," Damon said. "If you're worried you insulted me, don't be."

Elena glanced up and he saw the very real fear in her eyes. Damon had to work hard to keep his anger from showing at that.

"Why didn't it insult you? You've done nothing but protect and take care of me and I call you vicious!" Elena said. "It doesn't make sense."

"Because I am vicious," Damon repeated. He let out a sigh realizing he was going to have to actually talk about his feelings. "I am vicious and a killer and all the other things people say about me. You know that. The thing is, Elena, you know it and you aren't afraid of me. You've seen it and yet you trust me to protect you. You accept that part of me and no one else, not even Stefan, has done that since I turned."

Elena watched him apprehensively for several moments before Damon said, "Just say whatever it is, Elena."

She bit her bottom lip before saying, "I just…I hurt Stefan, I know I'm hurting Jeremy and Jenna, I'm probably hurting Alaric and Bonnie. I don't think I could handle it if I hurt you, too."

Damon shook his head and gathered Elena in his embrace, shifting so she was in his lap.

"I don't think you understand what a gift it is you've given me," Damon said softly. "Your trust, your acceptance of all of me, not just the fluffy bunny parts that remind you of my brother, but all of me – well that's an incredible thing for someone who hasn't had it in over a century."

"Are you just saying that so I'll stop being a pain in the ass?" Elena asked sniffling a little.

"Yes, Elena, I'm just saying it so you'll stop being a pain in the ass," Damon said with a smirk.

Elena smiled and hugged him tightly. "Thank you," she whispered.

"I'll keep you safe," Damon whispered against her hair. "Even when you don't want me to."

* * *

Over the next week, Damon watched as Elena allowed herself to relax. She was still afraid, still had nightmares, and still refused to sleep anywhere but the boarding house, but it was clear she was easier around her friends and felt less guilty about needing him. However, Damon had another problem to worry about and it was beginning to seem like a far bigger one than he had originally anticipated.

The bikers did not leave town after the latest group had disappeared. Their numbers had grown. The original five had been replaced by ten and when the second group had gone missing, twenty more arrived and they were not being subtle about searching for their missing comrades. This was keeping the sheriff and deputies very busy and causing Damon irritation that he did not need.

"I think we should take them out," Caroline said adamantly.

Bonnie sighed and looked at Caroline as the blonde paced the living room.

"Caroline, we can't just go slaughter twenty-five people," Bonnie said calmly.

This was a repeat argument, one they'd been having ever since the larger group of bikers had arrived in town.

"So what? We wait until they actually kill my mom this time?" Caroline demanded. "Or until some other girl we go to high school with gets attacked in an alley?"

Elena flinched but she made no comment. Damon sipped his whiskey and watched the argument between Blondie and the witch for what felt like the umpteenth time.

"Caroline, I want them gone as much as you do," Jeremy said. "But Bonnie has a point. Questions will be asked if they all just disappear."

Caroline cursed under her breath causing Elena to smile slightly. It was a word she'd clearly learned from Damon.

"Then what are we going to do?" Caroline asked. "Because we all know they are getting out of control and it's just a matter of time before someone gets hurt."

"We send them a message," Damon said, speaking for the first time since the group had gathered in the boarding house that day.

"And how do we do that?" Alaric asked cautiously.

"We don't," Damon said. "Caroline and I do. We'll go to where they are camped out and…suggest they leave town."

"Suggest?" Bonnie asked but her tone was clear that she knew he intended violence.

"We'll be very persuasive," Damon said throwing Caroline a grin.

"No," Elena said quietly.

The entire room turned and looked at her.

"Why not?" Caroline asked.

"I'm not saying you can't do it," Elena said. "I'm saying it won't be just the two of you."

"You're not going," Damon said instantly. "You could easily get hurt."

Elena lifted a brow in query and said, "Are you going to let them hurt me, Damon?"

Damon shook his head and said, "Elena, there are twenty-five of them, at least. I can't focus on sending a message if I'm worried about your safety."

"I'm going," Elena said clearly. "I know where they are so even if you leave me behind I'll just follow you."

"It's not like we're going to try to take them all," Damon said. "We're just going to give them a warning and leave. There's no need for you to be there. Besides they're only human. What are they going to do – shoot me?"

"Getting shot still hurts," Elena retorted. "And what if they have wooden bullets? Or there are sharp sticks that they use as weapons?"

"Elena," Caroline said softly and waited until Elena met her eyes. "I won't let anything happen to him. I promise."

Finally, Elena nodded and said, "If either of you gets hurt, I will make both of your lives hell. Just so we're clear."

"Got it," Caroline said with a smile before turning to Damon who hadn't taken his eyes off Elena. "When do we go?"

"Sundown," Damon said.

"Wait," Bonnie said with a deep sigh. "If you're going alone…"

Elena realized immediately what Bonnie was going to try so she reached over and took Bonnie's hand in hers. Bonnie smiled slightly and closed her eyes before beginning to chant. After several moments, Bonnie began to slump over so Jeremy took her other hand. Bonnie's back straightened and her words got stronger. It was several moments before she opened her eyes and she blinked rapidly.

"Wow, that was…intense," Bonnie said.

"Are you alright?" Jeremy asked concerned.

"Yes, thanks," Bonnie said squeezing his hand. "You and Elena are like superchargers for my power."

"What did you do?" Damon asked suspiciously.

"It's a protection spell," Bonnie said. "It should keep anything from penetrating your skin, even wood. But it won't last forever. You'll only have about an hour after sunset before it wears off so don't waste time."

"Why would you do that?" Damon asked, his eyes narrowing on the witch.

"Because Elena needs you," Bonnie said simply. "And I'll protect Elena just as fiercely as you."

Damon nodded once at that and then turned to Caroline to work out their approach to the camp.


	11. Chapter 12

AN: So, honestly, this went in a direction I had not intended at the beginning. Sometimes you just have take whatever ride the muse decides to go on.

CHAPTER 12

Caroline and Damon moved silently through the woods. They could hear the men gathered in the clearing around the cabin they had rented. The smoke from several campfires was acrid in their noses but they moved swiftly toward the group. All movement and noise ceased in a wave as the two vampires moved out of the tree cover and came to a stop.

Damon's eyes scanned the group and took in every detail of the men, the clearing, and everything that could potentially become a weapon, including the fires. His eyes tracked over them until they came to rest on the man heading toward them, clearly the alpha dog in this group.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?" the man asked, hostility flowing off him in waves.

"We have a message," Damon said addressing the leader calmly.

"What message? From who?" the man asked.

"The message is that you have no idea what you've stumbled into by coming to Mystic Falls," Damon said. "There are forces here you can't even begin to conceive of and stand no chance against. So you should leave town. Immediately."

The man stared at him for a minute and then started to laugh. The other men shifted uncomfortably but then hesitantly joined in the laughter.

"Why should we leave? Someone in this backwater knows what happened to our friends and I'm not leaving until I find out who is responsible and punish them," the man said.

"I know what happened to your friends," Damon said quietly and felt the focus of the entire group center on him.

"Tell me," the man hissed leaning forward.

Damon met his eyes and then swept his cold and empty gaze over the gathered men. "The first five tried to rape a seventeen year old girl in an alley," Damon said his voice frigid with fury. "The second five beat a woman unconscious. In my town. So I killed them."

The leader blinked and said, "You killed ten men?"

"You are missing the point," Damon said. "They came to my town and hurt people I care about. That is unacceptable. So yes, I killed them. Every damn one. And if you aren't out of my town very quickly, I'll kill every last one of you, too."

With that warning, Damon sent them a predatory smile that had every single one fighting a shiver of dread. Caroline hissed at them before the two vampires turned and disappeared into the woods.

The bikers were silent for several long moments after their visitors appeared to vanish into thin air.

"That's not actually possible, right?" one man said. "There's no way one guy could have killed all ten of them."

"I don't think he was lying," another man responded.

"No," the leader said. "He wasn't lying. But he had help. He didn't do this alone. So we find out who he is, we find out who would help him, and we take them out."

All the men nodded in agreement even as an uneasy feeling settled over the camp. None of them could forget the beginning of the warning: there were forces in this town that they didn't understand and couldn't stand against.

* * *

"You're both okay?" Elena asked for the third time after Caroline and Damon returned to the boarding house.

"Elena," Caroline said with a laugh. "We're fine. They didn't come anywhere near us."

"Do you think they'll listen?" Elena asked. "Do you think they'll leave?"

"Damon was pretty scary," Caroline said.

"They won't leave," Damon said quietly. "They aren't that smart. But no one can say they weren't warned about what would happen if they didn't vacate Mystic Falls."

"And what did you tell them would happen?" Bonnie asked.

"I told them the truth," Damon said meeting Bonnie's eyes. "I told them that no one comes into my town and hurts people I care about without dealing with me. I told them that if they didn't leave, I'd kill every last one of them."

Bonnie let out a sigh, something she'd been doing more and more frequently as she had to accept Damon's violent nature.

"I don't like it," Bonnie said finally. "But I don't see any other option either."

Jeremy squeezed her hand in support and she smiled slightly at him.

"We should get out of here," Jeremy said. "Jenna's going to be wondering where I am, if she's home."

"Yeah, I should go check on my mom," Caroline said. "Make sure no one's come after her."

Caroline, Jeremy, and Bonnie all headed for the door. Jeremy paused and looked at his sister.

"Should I tell Jenna you're staying here?" he asked.

"If she asks," Elena said. "I doubt she will. I think she's used to it at this point."

Jeremy nodded and the three teenagers headed out the door.

Damon watched Elena fidget on the couch for a few moments before asking, "How bad was it?"

Elena shrugged and said, "I survived."

"I never doubted you would," Damon said. "But that's not what I asked."

"I was scared," Elena admitted. "But Bonnie and Jeremy talked the whole time to distract me so it wasn't as bad as it could have been."

Damon nodded and said, "It's pretty late. Do you think you'll be able to sleep?"

Elena shrugged again but got up and headed for the stairs.

"Maybe if you read to me for a little while," Elena said.

"Of course," Damon said. "I'll be right behind you with Call of the Wild."

Elena smiled over her shoulder and then disappeared around the corner at the top of the stairs.

* * *

Damon sipped a glass of whiskey as Alaric told him the news from town later that night. The bikers had not packed up and left and instead had gone into Mystic Falls and asked about Damon. The Grill patrons were only too happy to talk about Damon Salvatore and his brother, Stefan, when they were asked.

Damon heard her coming but said nothing before Jenna burst through the front door. Ric blinked in surprise at her sudden arrival.

"What are you doing here, Ric?" Jenna asked her surprise at seeing him no less than his at seeing her.

"Damon's my friend," Ric said easily. "Just came to pass along a little gossip."

Jenna raised a brow at that but instead of replying turned to Damon.

"Where's Elena?" she asked.

"Sleeping," Damon said easily.

"Well, I'm waking her up," Jenna said sharply. "It's time she and I talked."

Damon led Jenna up the stairs and opened the bedroom door for her. She stopped short just steps inside the room and turned to glare at him.

"This is your room!" Jenna hissed.

Damon just shrugged and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

Jenna marched over to the bed and put her hand on Elena's shoulder, saying, "Elena, wake up."

The moment Jenna's hand touched her, Elena came up swinging. Her arms flailed out and her scream echoed through the room. Jenna fell back under the onslaught and before she could get up, Damon was next to the bed, his hands on Elena's face.

"Elena," Damon said calmly.

The teenager immediately stopped lashing out and with a shudder wrapped her arms around Damon's waist.

"Sorry," Elena mumbled against his shirt. "Did I hit you?"

"No, you hit Jenna," Damon said.

Elena gasped and wrenched away from him to look around the room.

"Oh, God, I'm so sorry, Aunt Jenna," Elena said. "Are you alright?"

"You've got a hell of a left hook, kid," Jenna said rubbing her jaw lightly. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Elena winced and said, "Yeah, people touching me when I'm asleep kind of…well, I don't handle that so well. I'm surprised Damon didn't warn you."

"I didn't really give him a chance," Jenna admitted.

"So, why are you here?" Elena asked. "Not that it's not good to see you but you don't normally come to the boarding house. Especially not in the middle of the night."

"Elena," Jenna started. She paused and looked at her niece. "I…I was just wondering when you might start spending nights at home."

Elena flinched at that and said, "I don't know, Aunt Jenna. I could try but…it didn't really go well last time I tried sleeping there."

"Well, Damon could stay at the house if that would make it easier," Jenna said grudgingly. "I'm not trying to push or make you do something that you can't do but I'd really like to have you home."

"I'll try," Elena said hesitantly.

Before Jenna could respond, Alaric called from the first floor, "Damon, you've got company!"

Alaric's tone made it clear to Elena and Damon that it was a vampire and they exchanged a look. Elena quickly pulled on a pair of jeans as Damon moved into the closet to grab weapons.

"Stay in here with Jenna," Damon ordered Elena who moved toward the window.

"Damon," Elena's tone stopped Damon as he was about to leave the room.

Damon's head turned to look at her and she whispered, "It's Lexi's boyfriend."


	12. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

"Lee?" Damon demanded.

Elena moved toward the door but Damon stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm going to talk to him," Elena said.

"No, you aren't," Damon stated.

"He's far less likely to hurt me," Elena said. "He's not going to want to talk to you."

"And what makes you think he won't hurt you?" Damon asked.

"He has no reason to want me dead, unlike you," Elena retorted.

"That doesn't mean he won't hurt you, Elena," Damon said.

"He won't," Elena insisted. "He's good. He loved Lexi."

"You aren't going," Damon stated.

"Damon," Elena started, her temper clearly strained.

"I'll go with her," Jenna said.

"Great! Two dead women in my front yard," Damon said sarcastically. "That's so much better than just one."

"Who is this guy?" Jenna asked. "Why do you think he'd kill us? Why would he want to?"

Damon sighed and shook his head. He let go of Elena's shoulder and she slipped out of the room and down the steps. Jenna and Damon followed closely behind her. The trio walked to the front door where Alaric stood watching the man who had stopped well away from the house and waited.

"Hello," Elena said stepping out of the house and moving toward Lee.

Lee inclined his head and then looked passed her to Damon who stood just behind her.

"Stefan sent me," Lee said. "He said Elena needed help. He didn't mention Elena was your girlfriend or I probably wouldn't have come."

"Stefan didn't send you to help Damon's girlfriend," Elena replied before Damon could say anything. "He sent you to help me because I was Stefan's girlfriend."

Lee's eyes narrowed as he looked at her and said, "But you were with Damon at Bree's. He came to rescue you. You begged for his life."

Elena nodded and said, "Yes, that's all true. But I was dating Stefan, not Damon."

"Then why did you save him?" Lee demanded.

"Because he's my friend," Elena said simply. "No matter what he's done or who he's hurt, and I know better than most how bad some of it has been, he's my friend. Plus, he's Stefan's brother. I couldn't let you kill him."

"What do you mean you were dating Stefan?" Jenna interrupted her tone clearly furious. "When did you break up? Why? Why would you do that?"

Elena turned her head and stared at Jenna in shock. Then the anger hit her with the force of a freight train and she whirled toward her aunt.

"Why? WHY? Because I can't stand to be alone with him let alone have him touch me," Elena shouted. "Do you think I wanted this? Do you think I like hurting him? I hate being afraid all the time and needing to hide here in order to function like a normal human being. Don't you think I want to be normal? That I hate knowing Damon can't have a life because he's got to baby-sit me every minute so that I don't have a meltdown?"

Elena started shaking and Damon placed his hand on the back of her neck. She shuddered and turned into his body burying her face against his shoulder. Damon kept his hand on her neck and the other ran down her hair as she sobbed against his shirt. Damon's eyes met Lee's over Elena's head and Lee nodded once in understanding.

"Stefan said you might need an extra pair of…hands," Lee finished after a glance at the pale and shocked Jenna.

"Pick a bedroom," Damon said. "There are about fifteen not in use. Only two are taken."

Lee went tense at that moment until Damon said, "Hello, Caroline."

Caroline melted out of the tree line and came to a stop beside Jenna but looking curiously at Lee.

"There are three bedrooms taken," Caroline said. "He's not sleeping in mine."

"Right, because he'd definitely want to stay in the room where Barbie's pink palace exploded," Damon said sarcastically.

"Where did you come from?" Jenna asked faintly. "How did you get here?"

"Oh, I stay here some nights when my mom has to work," Caroline said easily. "I couldn't sleep so I decided to take a walk."

Jenna nodded, still obviously dazed over Elena's screaming.

Elena sniffed a little and then stepped back from Damon. She looked at Lee and said, "Come on. I'll show you where the bedrooms are."

Lee followed several steps behind as Elena moved toward the house and Caroline stepped up to walk next to Elena. Jenna remained in place as did Damon. Alaric moved into the house and shut the door after a nod from Damon.

"I didn't realize…she seems normal at family night," Jenna said looking at Damon now that they were alone.

Damon had to bite back a growl and said harshly, "She is normal."

"Damon, that's not normal, not for Elena," Jenna said. "It was worse than she told me, wasn't it? She made it seem like...well, like it was nothing. But nothing wouldn't have her needing to sleep here or flinching every time someone gets too close."

"Look, she has moments where the fear and the anger just…overwhelms her," Damon tried to explain. "But they are less and less and the nightmares are less frequent. She's been much better about being around Alaric, Jeremy, and Matt. Elena will be fine but no one is going to push her faster than she's ready to go."

"Did you know about Stefan?" Jenna asked.

"I suspected," Damon said. "Having him here was really hard on her and after he left…well, let's just say he and I have been keeping in touch but he and Elena haven't so I figured she had ended it. She'd have felt that was the fair thing to do even if my brother didn't agree."

"Now that sounds like Elena," Jenna said with a small smile. "Determined that everything be fair, even if that means she gets the short straw."

Damon nodded and asked, "What spurred this visit, Jenna?"

Jenna sighed heavily and said, "John called. He wanted to talk to Elena and when I said she wasn't there…well, let's just say the fact that she's his biological daughter came up and that he doesn't think I'm a fit guardian was pretty clear."

Damon shrugged and said, "There's nothing he can do about it."

"Yes, there is, Damon," Jenna said. "If he can prove she's his daughter, then he can petition for custody."

"Which would take months and she'll be eighteen by then," Damon pointed out.

"That's true," Jenna said. "I guess I let him get to me."

"Clearly," Damon drawled.

"So, this Lee guy," Jenna asked. "Did he really try to kill you?"

"Yep," Damon said. "But he had a good reason."

"And Elena, she stopped him?" Jenna asked.

"She talked him out of it, yes," Damon admitted. "She's pretty good at that."

"What the hell have you gotten her into?" Jenna asked.

Damon looked at her for several moments letting the predator he was shine through and quietly said, "You know I'm dangerous, Jenna. You aren't stupid and your instincts have to be screaming every time I'm near you. Plus, if I wasn't, why would Elena be so sure I could protect her?"

Jenna was quiet for several moments and then said, "I guess I knew it in the back of my mind but it's not something I thought about until it was shoved in my face."

Damon nodded and Jenna studied him for several moments.

"I know you'd never hurt her," Jenna said finally. "And I know you'd kill to keep her safe. I guess I always knew that."

"Yes, I would," Damon agreed. "I promised to protect her and I will. No matter what I have to do."

"Come on," Jenna said heading toward the house. "I should talk to Elena again."

Damon followed her into the house and then led the way up the stairs to find Elena, Caroline, and Lee in one of the empty bedrooms at the far end of the house.

"I gave him the quick tour," Elena said when Damon and Jenna entered the room.

"Is this the room you want?" Damon asked Lee.

"Well, I thought about fighting Caroline for the pretty room but decided it would be three against one," Lee said with an absolutely straight face.

Elena and Caroline giggled at that. Jenna relaxed slightly at the sound. Clearly Damon was right. Elena would be fine but she would have to get back there at her own pace.

"I need to get home and get some sleep," Jenna said. "I just wanted to say good-bye and that you don't need to sleep at the house until you're ready. I know where to find you if I need you."

"Thanks, Aunt Jenna," Elena said giving her a quick hug.


	13. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

The next morning, Elena knocked softly on Lee's bedroom door.

"Come in, Elena," Lee said.

Elena walked in and held out two packets of blood.

"I thought you might be hungry," she said.

Lee raised an eyebrow at that but took the bags from her hand, careful not to get too close.

"Shouldn't you be in school or something?" he asked as Elena remained standing where she had stopped inside the room.

"It's Saturday," Elena said with a small smile. "And Damon and I will go to my house later for a little while probably. It's what we usually do."

"The Damon I remember wasn't much for a routine," Lee said.

Elena looked guilty at that and said, "Yeah, um, he does it for me. I kind of need it."

"What do you want, Elena? Because you didn't come here just to give me blood," Lee said.

Elena looked at him for a moment and said, "Are you going to try to kill Damon again?"

Lee was silent for several moments and then said, "I miss her. Every second, I miss her. And I hate him for taking her from me. But killing him wouldn't bring her back and it would hurt you. Lexi…she wouldn't want me to hurt someone else to make myself feel better. It's not like I wouldn't still miss her if Damon was dead."

Elena nodded and said, "I am sorry that she's gone. I think…I think I would have really liked her and she probably would have been great with helping me understand all the weird stuff about dating a vampire."

Lee looked down at the floor for a moment and then said, "She would have liked you. Lexi liked strong women who didn't stand for any bull."

Elena snorted at that and said, "Yeah, strong, that's me."

Lee shook his head and said, "You don't see yourself clearly. Anyone who can learn about vampires and all the other crap in this crazy world and take it in stride is strong. Anyone who can put up with Damon without strangling him while he sleeps is strong."

Elena chuckled at that. "He's actually been pretty great since…" Elena trailed off.

Lee nodded. "Why isn't Stefan here?" he asked. "Why isn't he the one protecting you, avenging you? Why Damon?"

Elena let out a sigh. "Unfortunately, biker gangs aren't the worst of my problems," she said. "See there's this really old vampire who wants to kill me to break a curse. Stefan left town before I was…attacked in order to find out some info that might help us with that dire situation. So he wasn't here to protect me."

"But why Damon?" Lee insisted.

"Because it's what he does," Elena said simply. "He's extremely protective. It's his nature."

"No, it isn't," Lee said. "He's only protective of you and Stefan. Because you are the only two people in the world that he loves."

Elena shifted uncomfortably at that and Lee rolled his eyes.

"Come on," Lee said in exasperation. "You can't be so blind as to not know he loves you."

Elena sighed again and said, "It's kind of a taboo subject."

"Because you don't love him," Lee said. "Do you?"

Elena shook her head but it seemed to Lee to be more in confusion than denial. He didn't get a chance to push because Elena's head went up and she turned toward the door. Lee's eyes narrowed as he waited only to have Elena move toward the hallway.

"I'm up here," Elena called and seconds later Damon appeared in the doorway.

Damon swept his eyes over Elena quickly to check on her and Lee glared at him.

"I don't hurt innocent women," Lee growled.

Elena flinched a little at that but Damon gave no reaction.

"What are you talking about up here?" Damon asked his attention remaining on Elena.

"Lexi," Elena said softly. "And you."

Damon wiggled his eyebrows and said, "Anything good? Are you telling him how attractive I am, Elena? That's not very nice, you know, to rub it in that I'm the better, hotter choice."

Elena let out a huffing chuckle and elbowed him in the side. Damon grinned down at her and then glanced quickly at Lee. Lee nodded once in acknowledgement.

"You don't have to stay up here all day," Damon said to the other vampire. "You're safe to go in the hallway and downstairs. Just stay away from the front door."

"Windows?" Lee asked.

"Covered," Damon responded. "The Salvatores have always known there were vampires in the family and built accordingly when the old house burned down. The drapes close automatically in the main rooms at sunrise."

"Convenient," Lee said.

Damon shrugged. "It's not like Stefan or I ever needed it," he said.

"But you might someday have guests who needed it," Elena pointed out.

Damon shrugged again and led the way downstairs. He poured a glass of whiskey for himself and one for Lee.

They'd settled into a mostly comfortable silence when the door opened and Caroline glided into the room.

"Hey," she said immediately pouring a glass of whiskey for herself.

Lee raised an eyebrow in curiosity, Damon rolled his eyes and Elena smiled.

"If you have a room here, why don't you sleep in it?" Lee asked.

"I had to stay with my mom last night," Caroline said. "I can't leave her home alone when those bikers are still around."

"Yeah, about that," Damon said. "Ric stopped by last night before Lee arrived. Apparently, a group went straight to the Grill to find out who we are. It was pretty easy for them to get my name and learn all about me."

"Joys of a small town," Lee said.

"Exactly," Damon said. "Which means they know where I live and who I hang out with. Watch your back and keep a close eye on your mom, Caroline. They might come after you two to get to me."

"Or they might come here," Caroline pointed out.

"In which case, Lee and I can handle them," Damon said.

"Alright," Caroline said. "I'll be extra careful."

Silence descended again as each person in the room got lost in their own thoughts. After several moments, Elena broke the quiet.

"I need some air," she said and stood up. "Want to take a walk, Caroline?"

Damon's eyebrows shot up in surprise but he quickly recovered. Caroline glanced at the other two vampires and then stood.

"Sure," Caroline said. "A little girl time would be nice."

"My thoughts exactly," Elena said leading Caroline out through the back of the house and into the woods.

"Alright, spill," Caroline said when Elena stopped in the middle of the woods behind the house.

"I…can they hear us from the house?" Elena asked.

Caroline shook her head. "No," the blonde answered. "So start talking."

"Lee said something to me," Elena said not meeting Caroline's eyes. "And I'm afraid…I think he might be right."

"What did he say?" Caroline asked.

"Well, actually it was something he asked," Elena hedged.

"Elena," Caroline's tone was warning. "Do not make me drag this out of you."

"He…he asked if I was in love with Damon," Elena whispered finally meeting Caroline's gaze.

"Are you?" Caroline asked quietly.

"I think I might be," Elena said. "What am I going to do?"

"Elena, let's not play games here," Caroline said. "We both Damon loves you. He's been in love with you since he came to Mystic Falls."

"I know," Elena whispered her eyes full of heartbreak.

"Then I don't understand the problem," Caroline said. "He loves you, you love him. Happily ever after. I mean, you already broke up with Stefan."

Elena shook her head. "How can it be happily ever after if I can't be with him?" she said.

"I don't understand," Caroline said in confusion.

"Come on, Care," Elena said in exasperation. "You know what he's like. Until he had to start baby-sitting me, I don't think Damon's gone a week without sex since he got to town."

"Oh," Caroline said her eyes softening in understanding. "And you don't think you'll be able to…"

Elena shook her head again and felt the tears well in her eyes. She fought them back viciously.

"Well," Caroline said after a moment of thought, "you're actually better about Damon touching you than anyone else, even me or Bonnie. He touches you all the time and you lean into it instead of flinching away like you do when someone else touches you. I've seen you sitting in his lap or laying in his arms. So maybe it won't be as hard for you as you think."

"It's not the same," Elena said. "Those are comforting touches, none of it's sexual. Even when I'm sitting in his lap, it's because I'm scared and he's comforting me."

"I know," Caroline said. "But I'm just saying, maybe because you're easy with that kind of touch from him, it'll be easier to take the next step."

Elena shuddered slightly at that and said, "I just…every time I think about it, I can feel their hands on me and hear their laughter. It makes my skin crawl."

"You need to talk to Damon about this," Caroline said.

"No, no way," Elena said adamantly. "I can't. I can't tell him any of this."

"Why not? He'll understand, Elena," Caroline said.

"No, it'll hurt him," Elena said. "He's already so guilty that I was ever in that situation even though it's not remotely his fault. If I tell him…if I tell him I love him but can't be with him, it'll kill him. I can't do that to him."

"Elena," Caroline said.

"No, Caroline," Elena said firmly. "And you can't tell him either. Girlfriend code."

Caroline nodded in resignation and followed Elena back to the house.

"Did you girls have a nice walk?" Damon asked when they got back. He met Caroline's eyes and sent her a questioning look.

"Yes," Elena said.

Caroline shook her head in response to his silent question. Elena noticed the communication and glared at Damon.

"Don't interrogate Caroline," Elena scolded. "Girl talk is for girls."

Damon smiled slightly at that but had no intention of letting it go. Caroline was clearly troubled by the conversation and it hadn't escaped his notice that they went far enough to ensure he wouldn't hear it. Elena was also tense, more so than she'd been in days and that was not acceptable to him. He'd get it out of Elena eventually though.


	14. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

As the hours passed, it became clear to Damon that something was very wrong. Elena was not only tense; she was avoiding him. At first it had just been a flinch when he touched her, then she had made a point to stay on the opposite side of the room, and finally she had retreated upstairs to Caroline's room. Caroline watched this all with sad eyes but refused to meet Damon's gaze. Damon went over everything he had done or said in the last twenty-four hours in an attempt to figure out how he had spooked her but he could think of nothing. If he didn't know what was wrong, he couldn't fix it and it was starting to piss him off. He sent a furious glare at Caroline who continued to avoid looking at him as she flitted nervously around the room.

"I think I'll go see if Elena wants some company," Lee said rising from a chair after several silent, tense moments. He looked back and forth between the other two vampires and shook his head before disappearing up the stairs.

"Start talking, Caroline," Damon snarled.

"You can't compel me, Damon," Caroline said.

Damon sent her another glare. "I can't compel you," he growled. "But I can rip you apart."

Caroline smiled at that and finally looked at him. "You could," she agreed. "But you won't because it would hurt Elena. And you won't do anything to hurt Elena ever again."

Damon sighed and sank onto the couch. The look he sent Caroline was now pleading.

"No, I wouldn't hurt her," he said softly. "And I'll do anything to keep her from hurting. But I can't do anything to fix it if I don't know how I hurt her."

Caroline shook her head sadly and met his eyes steadily, willing him to understand.

"I can't tell you what she said," Caroline told him. "Girlfriend code. But I will tell you, it is not about Elena being hurt, Damon. The problem is not **you** hurting **her**."

Damon frowned and his brows drew together as he tried to hear what she wasn't saying. When it hit him, his face was thunderous and Caroline smiled.

"This is one of her 'it's not fair to Damon' things, isn't it?" he hissed.

"Something like that, yes," Caroline said.

"I'm suddenly understanding why so many people want to kill her," Damon said. "She's infuriating."

Caroline chuckled and said, "She does tend to go to extremes to be sure no one gets hurt, even if it means she ends up suffering."

"Why now? Why is this suddenly such a big issue for her?" Damon asked mostly just musing out loud.

"I can't tell you, Damon," Caroline repeated. "I won't break her trust that way. But you should talk to her. I think…I think you can show her it's not a big deal if you can get her to tell you what's going on in her head."

"I'll give her some time to deal with it in her head, whatever it is," Damon said glancing up the stairs. "She's got to know I'm not just going to go away."

"She does," Caroline said quietly. "I think that's what terrifies her most. That you'll stay even if it hurts you."

Damon shook his head and poured himself another drink. Elena would just have to come to terms with the fact that he would be there for her no matter how hard it was and no matter how much she pushed him away. He thought they'd already moved beyond this when Stefan had been in town but apparently, Elena needed a reminder.

It wasn't long before Elena and Lee came down the stairs. Lee sent Damon a somewhat sympathetic look but Elena continued to avoid looking at him. She sat stiffly at the other end of the couch and twitched every time Damon shifted or moved. When the sun set, Caroline and Lee left the house though Damon could hear them so he knew they hadn't gone far.

"Elena," Damon said and waited until she turned to look at him, however grudgingly. "Whatever it is, whatever is going on in that head of yours, get over it. I'm not going anywhere and you're just going to have to deal with it."

Elena swallowed loudly and then whispered, "I don't want to hurt you. I hurt everybody else and I don't want to hurt you, too. I couldn't stand it."

Damon sighed. "I am responsible for my own feelings," he said. "If I…I can handle anything you do to me, Elena, except pushing me away. That's the one thing that's going to hurt me."

Elena looked up and blinked back tears but before she could reply, the front door burst open and Caroline, Lee, and Stefan practically flew into the room.

"We've got company," Lee said grimly.

"The bikers," Caroline said quickly. "All of them from the looks of it. And they're armed."

"Stakes?" Damon asked rising and moving to get weapons from a shelf.

"Guns," Stefan said. "Probably knives, some chains."

"Oh, well, if that's all," Damon said moving toward the door.

"Damon, don't you dare act like this is nothing," Elena scolded from behind him. "They might not have brought the right weapons but you are very outnumbered."

"Actually four vampires against twenty humans is pretty much guaranteed to be a slaughter – of the humans," Damon said reaching out and cupping her cheek gently. "We'll be fine. Stay in the house."

"Like hell I will," Elena said, her eyes flashing fire. "I'll stay back but I won't stay inside while you guys risk you life. Don't ask me to be a coward, Damon."

Damon sighed and handed Elena a gun.

"Have you ever shot one of these?" he asked.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know how to shoot," Elena said checking the safety.

"Stay near the house," Stefan said. "If any of them get past us, shoot them. Don't think about it; don't hesitate."

Elena nodded and followed the vampires to the door. Just before exiting, Stefan turned and looked at Elena.

"Are you okay?" he asked very quietly.

Elena smiled but it was incredibly sad and she looked at Damon who had moved forward from the house.

"I'll be fine," she answered.

Stefan heard the underlying message. Elena would be fine as long as Damon was unharmed. It broke his heart but he couldn't say he was in any way surprised.

"They're trying to flank us," Lee said. "There's a group of four or five circling around to come at us from behind."

"Good ears," Caroline murmured.

Stefan started to move as if to go toward the rear of the house but Lee held up a hand.

"I'll take the back," Lee said. "You should stay and help your brother."

Stefan nodded once in thanks and then focused on the increasing noise of the incoming group.

As the bikers came into view, Damon looked over at Stefan and grinned.

"Welcome home, little brother," he said.

Stefan shook his head and rolled his eyes at Damon's inappropriateness but he heard Elena's soft chuckle behind them. Elena stood just to the left of the door, her back against the house and her body partially shielded by the porch wall. Damon, Stefan, and Caroline strode forward and ranged out several yards in front of the house. They stopped and waited as the men jumped out of trucks, jeeps, and cars, weapons in plain sight. The bikers spread out in two lines and kept a decent distance from the trio of vampires.

The leader of the group and two other men moved forward stopping mere feet in front of Damon, Stefan, and Caroline. All their eyes went to Caroline and then to Damon.

"This isn't a place for girls," the leader said.

"Caroline, would you like to leave?" Damon asked with a smirk.

"I was invited to this party," Caroline said.

Caroline sauntered across the opening and sidled up to the man to the left of the leader. She smiled flirtatiously but her friends could see that her eyes were hard and flat.

"I hear you boys have a thing for helpless teenage girls," Caroline practically purred.

The man's eyes glazed over as he watched her. Caroline reached up with one of her hands and cupped the back of his head while the index finger of the other hand traced a path down his chest. The men closest chuckled in appreciation of the scene. A moment later the man was lying dead. Caroline had snapped his neck with one flick of her wrist. The smile and flirtatiousness dropped away and she faced the bikers with a sneer.

"Who's next?" she said her stance clearly ready for combat.

That seemed to be the signal because the bikers charged forward. Three went for Caroline, a few went for Stefan, but the majority focused on Damon. Damon took a number of hits and bullets but he steadily plowed through the humans until he heard a buzzing noise and then felt the arrow enter his chest.

Several more arrows zinged out of a tree, each hitting Damon who went down before the archer fell to the ground with a thunk. Lee dropped down lithely beside him. He moved forward as Caroline and Stefan finished off the remaining humans. Once the threat was wiped out, the three vampires turned to Damon but Elena was already flying across the yard to where he lay.

Elena fell to her knees beside Damon's still body, her sobs echoing through the now quiet clearing.


	15. Chapter 16

Well, here we are at the last chapter! It's been a strange ride for me. I started this expecting it to be at most 8 chapters and it ended up being double that. Hope you all enjoyed it and stay tuned for my next story starting in a couple of weeks.

**CHAPTER 16**

"It's not just about feeling safe anymore, is it?" Stefan asked gently, crouching down next to where Elena knelt on the ground.

"Oh God, Stefan - I..." Elena got out brokenly as the tears streamed down her face.

"I know, Elena. I get it," Stefan said, cupping her cheek in one hand. "He's my brother. I love him, too."

Elena's inhaled sharply at his words. She knew he was unaware that he had just mimicked words Damon had once said only it had been about her fear for Stefan's life that time. She swallowed and her gaze moved down to Damon who remained motionless and unconscious.

"Let me get him inside," Stefan said gently.

Elena nodded and stood so that he could pick up his brother. She followed closely as Stefan moved swiftly into the house and up the stairs.

"He'll be fine once he's had some blood," Caroline said to Elena. "Damon's not going to leave you unprotected by dying."

Elena clung to her friend as Lee came in with packets of blood and Stefan began to feed it slowly down Damon's throat. Damon didn't seem to be responding but Stefan kept feeding the blood to him and after a bag full, Damon began to swallow on his own. His fangs came out and Stefan sighed in relief.

Caroline purposely kept Elena back from the bed. She wasn't sure how aware Damon was and she didn't want him to hurt Elena by mistaking her for a food source in his weakened and injured condition. She could feel Elena's desire to be at the bedside.

"Stefan?" Elena queried, the tears obvious in her voice.

"It's working, Elena," Lee said quietly. "But you need to stay back. He's too injured to recognize that you aren't a meal right now. He'd never forgive himself if he hurt you so let's not put him through that, okay?"

Elena nodded but never took her eyes off of Damon. After several bags, the vampire stopped drinking and his fangs receded. He remained unconscious, however, and Elena sagged against Caroline who absorbed her weight without comment. Lee moved a chair to the corner of the room and Caroline physically deposited Elena into it but remained at her friend's side to prevent Elena from doing anything rash.

* * *

Three days later, Damon walked into the hallway to find Elena sitting on the floor outside his bedroom. At his appearance Elena jumped up and moved toward him.

"Did you miss me?" Damon teased with an arrogant smile.

Elena's hands clenched into tight fists and she glared up at him. She thumped him on the chest once and then again and again until she was pummeling him over and over. Damon stood still and allowed it, in fact wrapping his arms loosely around her as he felt her fear and anger. Elena kept going for several seconds until her whole body convulsed in a giant sob and she collapsed into him. Damon's arms tightened around her to hold her up. Elena's arms were trapped against his chest but she fisted his shirt in her hands as she cried.

"Don't ever do that to me again, Damon," Elena sobbed. "Don't ever scare me like that! I couldn't...I couldn't handle it if anything happened to you."

"Calm down, Elena," Damon said but he didn't lessen his embrace. "I'm fine. I'm hard to kill."

"Not hard enough," Elena said with another sob.

Damon held onto her for several more moments until he was sure she wouldn't collapse. Then he stepped back and looked down at her. Their eyes met and he held her gaze.

"I'm fine," Damon said. "I'll still be here to keep you safe."

Elena shook her head and whispered, "I love you."

Damon just watched her for several moments until he asked, "When did you figure that out? When you thought I was going to die?"

"No," Elena whispered. "I knew before..."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Damon asked.

"I just couldn't..." Elena trailed off unable to look him in the eye.

"What, Elena?" Damon asked. "Talk to me. Please."

Elena took a deep breath and, in one big rush of words, said, "I...well, you're Damon and you're very physical and I didn't say anything because I'm not sure I can...I'm not sure if I can have that kind of relationship."

Damon remained silent while trying to reign in the anger he felt at that statement.

"Elena, I would NEVER force you to..." he nearly hissed.

"No! No, I didn't mean it that way," Elena said finally meeting his eyes. Damon relaxed slightly at the absolute sincerity in her gaze. "I know you'd never...I mean, I know you aren't like that. But still, that's part of being with someone and I don't know if I can do that. And I really didn't want to disappoint you."

Damon shook his head, a small smile curving his lips as he leaned his head down until their foreheads touched.

"Elena," Damon whispered. "You couldn't disappoint me if you tried."

Elena smiled a little and she took a deep breath and then exhaled.

"I know you need someone who can…" Elena began.

"Elena," Damon said cutting her off. His voice was gentle, tender and just a little exasperated. He waited until she looked up and met his eyes. "The only thing I need is for you to be safe and happy. The only thing."

Damon couldn't miss the doubt in her eyes and he sighed.

"I compelled you once," Damon said quietly. "After you were kidnapped, I brought your necklace back and I compelled you. If you take off the necklace, I can make you remember."

Elena's intake of breath was swift and loud to Damon. "I always wondered how I got it back," she murmured as she reached around to undo the clasp.

Damon smiled at the trust implicit in the gesture. She was giving him carte blanche into her mind and she didn't hesitate even after he told her he'd compelled her. If he hadn't been sure about her declaration of love before, this would have convinced him.

Elena's eyes met Damon's and he allowed his vampire power to swell out into her and unlock her memory. Elena trembled slightly and gripped his arm tightly. Damon pulled back slightly and Elena's eyes filled with tears as she met his gaze.

"Oh, Damon," Elena whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"It was my choice, Elena," Damon said. "It was the one good thing I've ever done."

Elena shook her head. "No, it wasn't the only good thing," she said. "Maybe the best thing you've ever done for Stefan. But I'm sorry you felt you had to do that. That I made you feel like you couldn't…like you had to hide your feelings from me."

Damon smiled and shook his head. "We both know I didn't hide anything from you. You always knew how I felt."

Elena looked guilty and Damon sighed again. "Elena, I don't blame you for loving my brother. He's a better man than I am."

"No, he's not," Elena said fiercely. "He's not better. You are both good men. I wish you could see how I see you, how you make me feel."

"I know how I feel around you," Damon said. "I know you make me want to be better. But I also know that you accept me for who and what I am. I…I wish you could feel what that's like for me. Then you wouldn't worry about silly things like whether we can have sex."

"It's not silly, Damon," Elena frowned at him. "Don't trivialize something we both know is an important part of a relationship."

Damon shook his head. "I have you," he whispered. "I have you. That's so much more than I ever expected."

Elena's face flushed and she looked down. Damon felt the change in her emotions immediately and he wondered when he'd become so tuned to her feelings.

"You don't want me," Elena said in barely a whisper. "That's why…"

"Elena, I have never wanted someone so much in my entire existence," Damon said quietly, struggling not to scare her and yet reassure her at the same time. "I want only you. But I want your happiness and safety more than I could ever want physical gratification."

"So you don't think I'm…damaged?" Elena asked.

"Of course not," Damon all but growled. "I've never thought that. You had a horrible experience and you are dealing with it, physically and emotionally. It takes time and no one gets to decide how much time except for you. I'm trying to tell you that you'll know when you are ready and I'll be there waiting."

"And if I can't?" Elena asked.

"Then we'll stop," Damon said. "And we'll try again some other time."

"You make it sound so easy," Elena murmured, wrapping her arms around his waist and placing her head over his heart.

Damon kissed the top of her head and said, "It is easy. Giving you up to be with my brother was hard. Being with you, keeping you safe, loving you – that's easy. The easiest thing I've ever done."

Elena snuggled against him and smiled slightly. "You say that now," she teased. "But I'm high maintenance."

"Well, I'll certainly have to order a whole new wardrobe of shirts," Damon said with a grin.

Elena leaned up and kissed him softly. Only the moment their lips touched, Elena was lost in the kiss. Damon took control but kept it gentle. He would prove to her that she could handle this.

"Huh," Elena said when they broke apart. She grinned up at him. "Sure, easy. As long as you don't expect me to remember my own name when you kiss me."

"I'll remind you," Damon said kissing her again. "Elena." He kissed her again. "Elena."

As he leaned in to kiss her again, Elena started laughing and, just as their lips touched again, said, "I love you, Damon."

FIN

AN: Yes, the ending is incredibly corny and sappy. I'm a sappy romantic :)


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